


See You In Court

by PrinceofDarkness15



Category: Marriage Story (2019), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Attorney Charlie Barber, Charlie Barber is a bit of an asshole in the beginning! I don’t make the rules here!, Charlie is not married to Nicole in this!, Cunnilingus, F/M, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Passionate Sex, Sexual Tension, Shower Sex, Touch-Starved, no connection to marriage story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 04:56:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 50,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29620959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofDarkness15/pseuds/PrinceofDarkness15
Relationships: Charlie Barber/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 24
Collections: Finished Works





	1. Chapter 1

REY JOHNSON

On Friday, I woke with excitement for Rose's wedding. My best friend since childhood, she of course had asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, and I couldn't wait to get the weekend started. Today, we had a full full schedule and other fun plans before the rehearsal dinner tonight. It was time to get my bridesmaid duty on. I bounced out of bed toward the kitchen just as my phone rang. I predicted it to be Rose, but instead it was Jannah, our law firm's receptionist. 

"Hi, Rey," she said.

"Hi," I answered, trying to hide my apprehension about why she was calling me. 

"Mr. Barber is wondering when he should expect you at the office."

"But I'm supposed to be off today," I told her.

"Well, according to him, you're still working on Mr. Hux case, and you're expected to be at the office and shortly after that, court." 

She wasn't short or curt, but she got her point across. Charlie Barber, my boss and the owner of the law firm that I worked for, knew I had a full weekend of wedding plans with my best friend. I had it on both of our calendars. He had said that he had no issue with me taking a Friday off, yet here we were, with me expected to work after all.

"Thanks, Jannah," I mumbled. "I'll be there in an hour." 

And I hung up. It hurt like hell that he didn't even care about the plans that I'd already made for my own personal time and he'd had the receptionist call to break the news. Should he have cared about what I had been planning to do? No, not necessarily, but what if it were something important like surgery? I couldn't have canceled that just because he needed me in the office. This wasn't surgery, though, nor my wedding. _Thank goodness,_ I was so not ready for that yet. I phoned Rose and the other bridesmaids and broke the bad news about not being able to join them for the hair and nail appointments. Rose wasn't happy at all. In fact, she said she'd disown me if I skipped any of the other wedding events. I would disown me as a friend too. 

~*****~

Sitting. Waiting. Anticipating. These three words have become apart of my every day life. _Good things come to those who wait?_ What a total fucking lie that was. Whoever came up with that saying didn't understand law students waiting for their bar exam results or a girl wanting to meet up with her best friend on the eve of her wedding. I knew from the moment I was a little girl that I wanted to be an attorney. I wanted to stand up for those who had no voice, to help victims of crimes and their families who could not help themselves. Our professors had always encourages us to follow our passions, so it was a surprise when I had sat in on my first court hearing and realized prosecution might not be for me. Instead, it was defense. Surprisingly, I found many of the cases were tried where the defendant was actually innocent. They needed someone to hear their side of the story and fight their fight.

That was where I wanted to stand, next to the falsely accused. It was the middle of May in New York. The sun made it feel like we were in Satan's own backyard while he grilled hot-dogs and invited the demons and hells-span over for a glass of sweet-tea. 

It felt so hot that I wondered if one could potentially cook bacon on the sidewalk--not that I'd ever try that, of course. With the buildings towering overhead, it did very little to help cool things down. I was thankful to be spending the day in the air conditioning of the courthouse, even if I wished I were somewhere else entirely. Still, this was my professional passion, so things could be so much worse if I was being perfectly honest. 

The law firm I was working for--until my exam results came through--represented many of the high court cases. Rich, deep pockets crossed our threshold and often said, "Money is no object."

They demanded our representation, and they received it....most of them time. Alleged crooked politicians, extortionists, and financial advisors who stole money from their clients--we represented them all. The only clients our firm would turn away were cases having to deal with serial killers, serial rapists, and abuse of children. If the evidence was enough to prove innocence, however, the firm would consider the case. More often than not, though, there were some lines even we wouldn't cross. The courthouse atmosphere was chilly inside, and that wasn't from the air conditioning. The judge just looked _that_ bored. His eyes were half-hooded, and he rested his chin on his hand.

I picked at the corner of my binder, where one day it would hold my own business cards, which would say _Rey Johnson--Attorney at Law._

I'd looked forward to this day since I was a little girl. I loved a good debate and would argue until my face turned blue. The only thing on the walls of my small office was my law degree from the University of New York. My father had it framed a bit larger than it needed to be, and it took up much more wall space than it needed to. I didn't care. I loved it. I turned through the notes in my binder. Everything was leading toward a win for us. It was a matter of time before the prosecution rested their case and we took over and wrapped it up.

That was where Charlie Barber, lawyer extraordinaire, always came in. He seldom lost a case, and as a defense attorney, that was a golden flag one would want to fly at the tip of their pole. He sat back in his chair and pressed the tips of his fingers together like a steeple. 

They rested against the tip of his nose, his thumbs pressed against his chin. His dark-brown hair was styled perfectly, his lashes long and thick, and his caramel-brown eyes stared straight at the back of the city attorney's head. Charlie was a beautiful man, and he damn-well knew it too. He'd done a photoshoot for his firm, and I was honestly curious when _GQ_ would come knocking on his door. Women hung on to every word he spoke, though more than half of them had no idea what the man was even talking about.

He was a tour de force of masculinity and brooding good looks. He was successful defense attorney, wealthy, and had the beauty of a fallen angel and body of a Greek god. 

Hell, beautiful didn't describe him. I could have easily drooled over the man, but he had no idea who I was, other than an intern hoping to make a career for herself. I suppose I should feel fortunate he took me on, and I _am_ grateful, but what I wouldn't give for five minutes along with the man. 

While he was at the office, he was clean-shaven and took his appearance seriously. The man wore top-of-the-line clothing attire, whereas I bought my dresses and pantsuits from stores like Ross and Marshalls. It was what I could afford. Charlie had every article of clothing custom-tailored to him, while with some of mine, the waist was too big or the pant legs or skirts were too long. I dreamed of the day I'd be able to have custom-tailored clothes. Doubtful, but a woman could still dream.

"Never miss a chance to make a perfect impression" was one of the very first things he said to me during my interview, while he took in my choice of clothes. He didn't undress me with his eyes, though. He was more or less judging me for my lack of fashion sense. But I was here to hopefully practice law, not make a fashion statement. I closed my eyes and thought about all the delicious things I would do to him and how he would ruin me for anyone else. I cleared my throat and opened my eyes once more to try to focus on the case instead of the scent of his cologne. It hypnotized me. I could practically bathe in it. 

Some of the women I had seen coming and going through the office looked as of they were models who had just stepped off the runway. Tall and very slender with clothes that flowed from their toothpick bodies. Some very clearly fake and took an interest in Charlie just because his looks and money.

It was sad, really. They reminded me of marionette dolls on strings, puppeteered by an ego so thick they couldn't see the idiocy of their own being. The song from _Pinocchio_ about having no strings to hold him down plated through my mind in that moment.

I giggled at myself and hummed the tune in my head. Then there was me. I was an average woman with a typical body. I wasn't rail thin, but I was proportionate. 

In the early morning hours, I would sometimes catch Charlie after he finished up at the gym. He would come in with his workout clothes on, his gym shirt stuck to his sweat-covered chest and back and the shadow of the previous day's growth on his cheeks and chin. I would try not to stare, but I couldn't help myself. If he was facing me, his shorts were sometimes fitted, and the outline of his cock...he was well packaged. The man was a god among men. And he had no idea I even existed. 

Did he know I'd just taken the bar exam? Did he know I wanted to work in his office if I passed? Would he let me stay once I was certified? Would he help mold my career? Did he realize I hung on every word he muttered? These were questions that would, in time, one day or the other, be answered. 

For now, I was content learning and listening to as much as he'd allow. The client we were representing was Armitage Hux, the starting quarterback for his college.

His family donated large sums of money to multiple charities annually, and he had scouts after him, as he was assured to go pro. He had his whole life ahead of him but stood accused of raping Kaydel Co-Connix, an acquaintance of his. 

Armitage groaned in what sounded like boredom. I glanced at the six-foot-one, red-haired, pale-skinned quarterback and found him slouched in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, his left leg bouncing in a nervous twitch. I reached over the spectator wall and tapped his shoulder. He turned and looked at me, then rolled his eyes. 

"What the hell's your problem?" I whispered to Armitage.

"When will this be over?" he asked. "I didn't do it, and I just want to go home."

"Give Mr. Barber the time to win your case, and you'll be home before you know it. Now, please, be quiet, sit up straight, and stop yawning."

"I'm trying," he whispered back as he sat up.

I sat back in my seat and watched as Charlie stood to begin his part of the question-and-answer session. He paced back and forth as he questioned the witness Tishra Kandia, who was a friend of the accuser. She was pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way. I thought back to the conversation we'd had with Armitage during our initial interview. 

~*****~

"Did you have sex with her?" Charlie asked him.

Armitage nodded. "Yes, on a number of different occasions. We were very close. I don't understand why she would say that I raped her. It was never like that."

"Why would she do this now, though?" I asked. "What would be her motive for saying something like that?"

Charlie looked to me and then back to Armitage. "Your family is quite wealthy, are they not?"

Armitage nodded. "Yeah, my dad comes from old-money. He didn't want me dating Kaydel because she was poor and from the wrong side of the tracks."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked. 

Charlie sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. He lifted his brow and gave me a look that said are you serious. I frowned and gave my attention back to Armitage. 

"Her family is dirt poor," Charlie said. "Dad told me if I didn't watch myself and cover my shit, I could get her pregnant, and then her family would come after us for money. But I always used protection."

Armitage shook his head. "My dad said she was a 'gold-digging whore.' I never thought she'd ever do that. She seemed so honest. I honestly never saw this coming."

I refocused my attention to listen to Charlie grill Tishra Kandia. "Is it true, Miss Kandia, that you did not see the plaintiff, Miss Kaydel Co-Connix, until two days after she accused my client for rape?"

"Correct," Tishra answered. 

"Then help me and the court understand, Miss Kandia, how you claim to have witnessed the rape, but you were not with the plaintiff until two days later."

"Well, I wasn't exactly in the room at the time--"

"Objection, Your Honor!" yelled the prosecuting attorney. 

"Overruled," the judge ordered. "Continue with your questioning, Mr. Barber."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Charlie said. "Please, Miss Kandia, state for the court, if you would, that you were not in the room, nor did you witness the rape of the plaintiff of, Miss Kaydel Co-Connix."

I watched the witness sink her chair in defeat. I was almost positive that she was praying for the floor to open up and swallow her whole. If you lie on the stand, you could be charged with perjury. Your testimony would be dismissed, and the case for the plaintiff would look questionable. 

"I...I was not there, no. But--"

"Thank you, Your Honor. I'm done with this witness. No further questions." Charlie said and turned his back on Tishra Kandia. 

"You may step down, Miss Kandia," the judge said. 

Tishra stood, and tear slid down her cheek. _I'm sorry,_ she mouthed toward her friend Kaydel. She looked over to our witness, Armitage Hux. "You're a fucking dirt-bag who deserves to die for what you did to her!"

"You will be held in contempt if you speak another word in my courtroom, Miss Kandia," the judge ordered. "Do you understand?"

I glanced over to Charlie and found him smirking. This wasn't quite what he had wanted, but the fact that the woman was accusing Armitage of lying when it was in fact, she who lied was enough to dismiss the charges. Maybe. 

"The jury will dismiss this outburst from the witness, and the reporter will strike the statement from the record," the judge instructed. 

Charlie had told Armitage early on he would not put him on the stand. He wanted to break down the witness and her stories---her lies. So far, it was working. I glanced over at Kaydel, and she squirmed in her chair. According to Armitage, no rape had ever happened. He had an account of his time with her, and that was up to Charlie to present his evidence. In comes Kaydel Co-Connix, beautiful and with a shy demeanor. She came from a poor family, her brother had been in and out of jail for drugs, her father was practically nonexistent, and her mother had boyfriends turn over more often than riders of Greyhound. 

Armitage had been attracted to Kaydel, as apparently she had been to him. The two had dated for a while, and one night he'd taken her to a frat party. He'd kept her by his side the entire night and watched what she drank. Too many college girls were roofied and taken advantage of. 

But not Kaydel, and definitely not by Armitage. The night was in full swing, and Kaydel Co-Connix wanted to have sex. She came on to Armitage and seduced him to take her up to one of the bedrooms. Armitage had used protection. Fast forward to two days later, Kaydel had claimed that she was raped by Armitage. At first, Armitage didn't understand what was happening, that Kaydel was his girlfriend and he'd never rape her or force her to do anything that she didn't want to do. But the accusations continued. 

Armitage's parents reached out immediately to Charlie for legal assistance and hired him and his team. Almost a year later, here we were in court over a _he said, she said_ court case.

All of the discovery had been covered, and nothing new had been presented. Until today that is. 

"Your Honor, I have a new witness who will prove the forceful rape of my client, Miss Kaydel Co-Connix." 

Charlie frowned and stood. "Objection, Your Honor. This evidence has not been presented in discovery." 

The judge shook his head and glared at the prosecution. "I should dismiss the case for lack of integrity on your part as a prosecutor." The judge picked up his anvil. "The evidence will be shared and reviewed. We'll recess for the weekend and return to continue then."

I leaned forward to Armitage. "Just three days and this is over," I quickly reminded him. 

"Three days too long, Charlie," he said to my boss. "I didn't rape her."

"I know you didn't. We'll get you off. Don't worry." Charlie closed his briefcase.

What the hell evidence did the prosecution have that we weren't already aware of? My gut told me that Kaydel's mother was behind the accusations. She wanted a fully payout, and in court today, she was here wearing a designer outfit that her salary couldn't afford. Considering the payout she'd been expecting on Kaydel's behalf, I wondered how much of this was her doing. Did I think that Armitage was guilty? No, I didn't. Did we think Kaydel's family was after a payout? Absolutely.

They'd offered to settle out of court, but settling would show a sign of guilt, and well, Armitage was not guilty. And it was up to Charlie Barber to prove that. And he would. He always did. 


	2. Chapter 2

CHARLIE BARBER

Signed, sealed, and delivered. That was what I had expected when I woke this morning. A clean-cut case of an innocent man who had been accused of a heinous act he had not committed. At least that was what I had thought before the prosecutor moved to introduce new evidence. As defense attorneys, we had the right to review the evidence disclosed. The defense was entitled to know about the prosecution's case before trial and vice versa. Nothing was kept as a secret. We had ample opportunity to study all sides of the case.

Our side, their side, and, somewhere in the middle, the truth. To pull this crap toward the end of their case was not only wrong, but it could potentially cause the case to be thrown out completely. No one wanted to start over, but if it meant a win for my team and me, we'd take it. 

I could always hope, but we'd review this new evidence regardless. As lawyers, it was what we did, and Armitage would be a free man soon enough. The prosecution had offered a plea deal, which we'd refused. Admit guilt, and the sentence would be a year in jail with four years' probation. If my client were actually guilty, it would be a great plea, but my client was innocent. We promptly gave them a "hell no," followed by, "see you in court." 

They'd better hold on to hope that once this was all over, we wouldn't slap the family with a countersuit. As soon as Rey and I entered my office building, I closed the doors behind us. The only sound was the hum of the air conditioner. 

It was late afternoon on a Friday, and soon the sun would set. Everyone else in the office had their door closed or was off having a class of something other than just water. Tonight was supposed to end in victory. Instead, it ended with me back here, trying to figure out what went wrong. 

"Did you know about this witness?" I asked Rey Johnson, my intern. 

She wore a black dress, and her auburn hair was braided to the side. She was a plain-Jane kind of woman with curves. She was stacked and attractive but not the type I'd normally go for. I didn't even know if I had a type, but the women on my arm were typically models or someone equally successful as me. I didn't date other lawyers. It ended badly, at least in my professional experience. 

Rey shook her head. "No, sir. I know about as much as you do at the moment."

"Well, it's your job to make sure that shit like this doesn't happen."

Oh, how I hated surprises. Don't sneak up on me with anything, and we'd just fine. But if you hit me with something in court that I had not been privy to? It was a sure way to get your ass spanked by the hand of the law. I took what I did very seriously, and if anyone fucked with that or got in my way, I'd mow them over before they realized anything had happened. Rey took a seat at the table in my office and opened her briefcase. She hadn't responded to my statement, which was fine. I argued for a living, but I didn't necessarily want to fight with my own staff. I didn't feel the need to show her where she was wrong and how to fix it. 

If I did that for her every single time she fucked up, how the hell would she ever learn? Did she fuck up? No, not necessarily, but I had relied on her to prepare everything that I needed for this case. 

If she wanted this to be her career; she needed to learn the ropes and learn them the hard way. Like I had. If everything was always given to you, how would you ever learn? You wouldn't, at least not in my corner of the world. You busted your ass for what you wanted, whether for your career or for personal gains. 

With a sigh, I removed my jacket and tie, unbuttoned the first two buttons of my dress shirt, and rolled up my sleeves up to my forearms. I pulled out a chair from the table and took a seat.

"Who the hell is this new witness?" I met Rey's gaze and found her staring at me. I frowned. "What is it?"

She quickly shook her head, and a blush crept to her cheeks. She cleared her throat and started talking. "I'm reading over his information now. Please, just a moment so I can finish?"

"Fine," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and then pinching the bridge of my nose. I glanced over to Rey and found her watching me again. "Seriously, what is it?"

"Oh," she said, startled, and she looked back down to the documents in front of her. The blush on her cheeks darkened. "I figured," she started in a soft, mouse-like voice, "since you were getting comfortable, I might remove my shoes. My feet hurt."

I shrugged. "Do whatever you need to do. We need to get this shit settled." My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out with a slow sigh. "Shit," I growled and sat back down in my chair. 

"Is everything okay?" Rey asked.

I raised my brows and then cocked my head to the side and looked at her. "Yeah, it's fine. Just forgot I had something to do tonight." 

More like _someone,_ but Rey didn't need to know that. I had a date with a super-hot model. We had been seeing each other for a few months now, but by _seeing,_ it was more than her showing up at my place, me fucking the dog-shit out of her, and then her leaving. We laughed at each other's jokes and pretended we were interested in each other, but it was nothing more than hot casual sex. She was taking off for London soon. Maybe tonight would be her farewell fuck-off. I smirked at my own thoughts. 

"Yeah, I have something---"

"Did you find what you were looking for?" I asked at the same time.

Rey cleared her throat. "Umm--" she paused to look at me and then back to the papers---"sort of. Someone has stated they witnessed the rape by peeking into the room while it was happening."

I guffawed at her findings. "Bullshit. Who was it?"

"I'm looking into it." She wrote something down on her paper. "I'll get you a name soon."

"So you have this handled, then?" I asked and stood from my chair.

My phone buzzed again, and I shove it into my pocket. My date would just have to wait. They said patience was virtue, although with her, it appeared to have run off with her virginity. Rey looked up at me as if I had asked her a question in a foreign language.

"Well, I did have plans tonight," she said. 

"You're going to have to change them, I'm afraid. Welcome to the world of being a defense attorney, Rey," I pulled my keys from pocket and tapped my desk. "There's a set of keys in the top drawer to lock up when you're done. I expect you to find out what you can about this new key witness before you head home. Or take it home with you. Doesn't matter to me. Just get it done. Understood? We'll meet back here tomorrow morning to review your findings." 

She looked down at the stack of folders and files in front of her. With a low sigh, she nodded. "Yes, sir." 

I stepped past her and opened my office door before glancing over my shoulder at the young woman in my office. She had the world ahead of her. She would appreciate this one day. Maybe not tonight of this weekend, but if she wanted to continue to working here, to get ahead in this field and get a letter of recommendation from me, then she would do what needed to be done. As for me, I had a beautiful woman waiting. No relationship crap, just hot sex, booze, and maybe a cigar when we finished.

I thought about my older brother. He was married and three kids, two boys and a girl. "One day you're going to meet a woman who will knock you flat on your ass, and you won't know which way is up or down anymore," he'd said to me once. "And I want to be there when it happens!"

Not today, brother, or any other day. Fuck being someone's other half. I didn't have time for that crap. I climbed in behind the wheel of my Audi and sped down the road toward my home. I glanced in the rearview mirror and watched my office building grow smaller and smaller the more distance I put between us. 

Monday, we would walk into the courthouse, ready to put this case to bed and free my client. This would be the last weekend Armitage had to spend any time behind bars. As soon as he was released, my cleanup team would work with him to help clear his name. Even if found innocent, his name had still been dragged through the mud. Half the battle was the case. The other was clearing his name and making sure he still had his scholarships. I glanced in the rearview mirror again and looked at my own reflection. Sometimes I asked how I could sleep, knowing the criminals I defended. I would smile and say, "With my eyes closed."

 _A story is only as good as its villain_ is a quote by Luke Taylor I used often. If you had a bad villain, the story would suck. If there was no villain, then you had no story. 

I supposed in a way that made me the narrator of villains' stories. But so long as I was paid and knew the truth, I was good with the decisions I'd made. However, there were some cases I would not touch, and for good reason. Murder, child abuse, rape. If I had a suspicion the accused was actually guilty, hell to the no. Go get yourself a court-appointed lawyer. 

With a smirk, I continued my drive and turned down the road that lead to my condo. I pulled in, and a silhouette inside the guard shack moved in my direction. He stepped out and nodded to me with a title of his hat.

"Good evening, Mr. Barber."

"Good evening, Wedge. How's your mom?"

Wedge was the resident guard who kept our grounds safe. He was somewhere in his mid-sixties and took care of his mom. 

"She's good, Mr. Barber, a spitfire." He chuckled and opened the gate with the push of a button. "Enjoy your night, sir. Oh, and a lovely young lady came calling. She was let inside. I had her on your list."

"Ahh, yes, thank you, Wedge. Enjoy your night." 

I pulled through the entrance and turned right, and just outside my garage stood a long, lean, and tanned woman with blond hair to her midback. She wore a red fitted dress that hugged her thighs. 

I rolled down my passenger window and leaned over. "Thanks for waiting for me, Evelyn." I pressed the garage door button, and it began to lift up. 

"No problem, Charlie. I'll follow you inside."

And just like that, my night began to look up. Evelyn---she preferred to be called by her stage name---never gave me a hard time about being late. I opened my car door, and her heels struck the concrete as she approached. 

"Long day at the office?" she asked

"Long day at the courthouse, but enough about that." I closed the door behind me and pulled her into my arms. I slanted my lips across hers, and Evelyn leaned her body against mine. "Inside. Now," I ordered, and everything about today washed away. 

She took my inner elbow with her hand, and we walked through my garage. The faint lighting illuminated Evelyn's white-blonde hair, almost in a glow. I opened the door and let her inside first, then closed it behind me. Taking her hand, I pulled her back toward me and wrapped my arms around her body. I grabbed one of her legs and lifted it up around my waist and then followed with her other leg. She hugged my waist tight with her thighs, and I pressed the fob remote to close the garage door. 

The events of today were already far from my mind, and I was ready to settle down for the evening inside Evelyn. Later, maybe a glass of Scotch. 


	3. Chapter 3

REY JOHNSON

If one thing was certain here, it was that Charlie Barber gave no fucks about anyone except himself. If I were more like him, if I had stood up to him and said, "No, I can't be there today," he would have fired me on the spot. 

He didn't take lightly to anyone second-guessing him or standing up to voice an opinion different from his. Instead, I was always the "yes sir" girl of the office. I wanted to build a reputation for becoming a ball-busting lawyer, but I'd get nowhere if I continued saying yes to everything and being everywhere he expected regardless of any plans of mine. It made me feel like that girl who disowned her friends as soon as a guy took interests in her. That had _never_ been me. 

Charlie came and went as he pleased and expected me to all this work for him. I had busted my ass at his firm, but I still felt like he didn't take me seriously. 

"Pay your dues, Rey," he'd said on more than one occasion, "and one day, this could be you ordering someone else around."

Well, maybe I didn't want to order someone around like he did. Maybe I wanted someone to work _with_ me, not for me or under me. It wasn't nice how he treated people, and the fact that I was missing the pre-wedding events with my friends made me hate him that much more. Not long after Charlie left me here in the office, I actually did find where this new witness had been, and it was nowhere near the house party the night Armitage was accused of rape. Social media had been a godsend in many aspects of my job. 

He had been across the country with his family. After searching a few of the databases we had of flight information and car rentals, his name came up. He had been in a different state during the party. I found his social media pages full of pictures of Kaydel and him. Were they lovers? It wasn't our business, unless it helped get our client off. 

We'd make damn sure they both paid for this lie. Who was the guy trying to cover for? Was he promised money? It wouldn't surprise me. The accuser's family was poor, and I could empathize, but doing after someone who had money wasn't the way to get ahead on the bills. 

Kaydel and her fellow witnesses could be found guilty of perjury. Armitage's parents could countersue, and Kaydel could serve time in jail for slander and defamation of character.

There was a world of shit they'd all go through if Armitage's family had any say in it. His family lawyered up, and Kaydel's team honestly didn't stand a chance. This evidence would have the new "witnesses'" testimony thrown out before it even heard. Did the prosecution do no homework? This was ridiculous. Charlie would eat this boy alive if he did testify. He would then turn the tables on the family and rake them through the coals and make sure they burned. But right now, it was about me being pissed the fuck off at Charlie. 

He could thank me later for the detective work I did. It wasn't like it was hard. It was easy. Almost too easy, in fact. The prosecution seriously was a joke in this case, and it was if anything, disappointing. 

I looked over at the clock. It was closing in on midnight. I groaned in disappointment in myself. I sat back in my chair, and my head lolled back and rested on the headrest. I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. The longer I sat there, the more the rage continued to rise. I gritted my teeth and opened my eyes. I fisted my hands then howled in frustration. 

"Who the hell does he think he is?" I said out loud. "With his Gucci shoes and Armani blazer?" I stood and pushed the chair back with my legs. "His amazing cologne that makes me feel dumb because I can't think around him?"

I pushed away from the table and placed my fists on my hips. While he was off gallivanting around town with God knows who, I was stuck here missing the wedding rehearsal for my best friend's wedding tomorrow. The bride would never forgive me if I didn't show up tomorrow. The wedding was so important. I had to be there, no matter what. Charlie had to understand that. One of the walls of his office was lined with shelves of law books. Another wall held his credentials from Harvard Law, University of New York, and a few of the recognitions he'd received from the charity work he did on the side.

Across the room, next to one of the frame plaques, I spied his liquor cabinet. I quickly made a beeline for it and opened the panel. Inside was expensive Scotch, brandy and who knew what else.

They were all brown liquid, and I wasn't picky. I wasn't what you'd call an expensive drinker. If you gave me a beer, I was good. However, I knew Scotch was pricy, and what better way to get back at my douchebag of a boss than by drinking his most favorite spirit? 

I grabbed a glass and pulled the top off the crystal bottle that held the brown contents. Both probably cost more than two years of my current intern salary. I poured myself a glass and then brought it up to my lips. I sniffed the contents and cringed. Scotch was strong, yet so was brandy. I had tasted brandy only once. I wasn't exactly a fan. Hopefully I liked Scotch more, because I planned to drink a lot of it tonight. 

"Fucking asshole," I said and sipped the contents.

When I swallowed, I growled with the burning sensation as the contents slipped down my throat. Surprisingly, it warmed my belly in a most delightful way.

"Not so bad," I said to myself and took another sip. And then another and another. Before I realized it, I had to refill my glass again. "I hate my boss! I fucking hate him!" I looked over at one of his pictures, where he was shaking hands with the governor of New York. I then pointed at it. "I hate your fucking guts, Charlie Barber!"

I took another drink and then held my arms straight up, a if I were cheering for myself. And in a strange, bizarre sort of way, I was.

"You are the world's worst boss and biggest asshole I have ever come across!" I then giggled at my own words. "Well, you personally have never made me cum, but damn, have I had some erotic dreams about you, Mr. Fancy-Pants in your tight-fitted suits and your million-dollar sports-cars!"

I laughed once more and then shook off the erotic notions of Charlie. He had been such a dick to me tonight, and I would not give in to the pleasure of anything erotic in his name. What if he had plans and insisted he stayed? Oh, that's right, he did have plans. Well, boo-fucking-hoo. So did I, last I checked, but I'm still here, aren't I? Picking up _your_ mess, Barber!

"Get your knob blown and come back in here and help a girl out!" 

The Scotch was starting to work its magic on me, and I was feeling quite woozy. And woozy felt delightful. My body warmed, and my skin flushed from the hard-liquor. 

"You know what you need, Mr. Barber? You need a swift kick in your ass as well as your ball-sack!" I grabbed the bottle of Scotch, crossed the room to his desk, and then kicked his chair.

It spun round toward me, and I took a seat in it. The black leather was cool to my body, and for a moment, I relished in it. I kicked off my shoes and poured more liquor into my glass. I took another long sip and stared down at the personalized letterhead notepad on his desk. Next to it was a quill he said he brought back from a business trip to Venice. I smirked. Tonight called for a note. No, make that a letter. The letter of all letters to the world's worst but sexiest boss. 

_Dear Mr. Charlie Barber-_

I drew out a long line after his name and then tapped the pen on the paper. 

_You, sir, are an asshole. And not just any asshole, mind you, but the world's biggest asshole. Your asshole is so big that it would take the world's largest tampon to seal you over, that's how big your asshole is. You have no idea what you did tonight, nor do you actually care or give two-flying fucks. Which for me, is a bit of a problem. The world is not all about you, Mr. Fancy-Pants, it doesn't revolve all around you, though you seem to THINK it does, and if you actually took a minute to smell the motherfucking roses, you'd probably see there was life revolving AROUND you._

I took another sip of Scotch and licked the residue off my upper lip. I quickly decided right then and there like I really liked Scotch. I wasn't sure how much this liquor was, but I knew it would be quite a shame to let it go wasted later when I would need to pee. I continued on with my hate mail.

_I had a wedding to attend this weekend, and now, thanks to you, I now have to skip it. Thanks to you, my friends will never forgive me for this. Thanks to you, my best friend, who happens to be the bride of this said wedding, will most likely kill me for not showing up. Thanks to you, my parents will disown me for putting my job first. Thanks to you, I'll be the laughingstock of my friendship circle. Well, the circle I had, which is completely gone now, so thanks again for that._

I paused and took another long sip of Scotch. My eyes grew blurry as the words spilled out of me without much chance of ceasing anytime soon. Something told me in the back of my mind, I was going to regret saying all of this, but I was too damn drunk and too far gone to even really care at this point. 

_You walk in here with that tight ass of yours, in your thousand-dollar designer clothes, and you smell so damn good. Even the days you come in with our workout clothes on. The sweaty clothes cling to your body like some sort of drive-me-fucking crazy carnal paint. You take my breath away when you step into a room. Your eyes seduce me in ways that only my erotic dreams can handle. You make me weak in the knees, and I can't look at you longer than a few seconds for fearing of lunging into your arms. And if given the chance, I would ruin you for any other woman. I would do things to you you've never experienced with anyone else. Hell, I would let you ruin me for any other man._

I wasn't quite sure what I would do that was so miraculous, but damn it, I would definitely go down into to depths of hell and burn in flames just for trying! 

_I find myself longing for you, wondering what you would feel like inside me, to have you on top of me, or your face between my legs. I close my eyes and just fantasize about seducing you, straddling your big-ass body and claiming you as my own while you fuck the literal dog-shit out of me. There have been so many nights I wanted to tell you how I felt, but you barely even know that I exist. It hurts so much to know there's something you want so desperately but no matter what you do; you'll never have it. Much less deserve it. But I do deserve it, Charlie. I deserve the world and so much more. I've worked my ass off to get where I am today. So maybe the joke's on you. So why don't you take your tight-ass and your well-built body I could bounce a quarter off of and go the fuck to hell. Go jerk off to whatever woman is floating your boat this week. I'll pray for you that your dick doesn't magical just shrivel up and fall off!_

I drank down the rest of my Scotch and poured what was left of the liquor into my empty glass. This will fucking teach him, I giggled to myself as I continued my rank down on paper. 

_And before you even ask, no, I'm not going to buy you any more booze. So go fuck yourself, Charlie! Because you'll never get the chance to fuck me. I would have gladly bent over your desk and let you touch me. I would never commit that type of fuck-and-run with anyone else, but with you, I would. But not now. Not ever. That ship was fucking sailed! Never to be yours...._

_Rey Johnson._

After I signed my name to the letter, I swallowed back the contents of my glass and slammed the glass down. I licked the Scotch and ran my hand over the note I wrote. I nodded to myself and smiled, feeling quite proud of what I'd just written.

"I'll show him who's really in charge here," I said with a hiccup. 

I swiped my arm across my mouth and laid my head down on my arms. I closed and opened my eyelids slowly, as if I were in slow motion. I was so tired and needed a nice, long nap. Maybe all of this was a dream. I mean, after all, I would never in a million-zillion years have written a letter like that to my boss. No fucking way. He would have absolutely fired me. I would just tear it up later. He would never have to know. 

Intending to close my eyes just long enough to burn through the liquor. I felt myself drift off into erotic fantasies about Charlie. My favorite one of was of him holding my body against the wall. He held my wrists above my head while he kissed me. He pressed his knees between my thighs and his rock-hard erection against the heated folds of my pussy. He would move his hands over my body, massaging my full breasts and teasing my nipples through my lace-bra. 

I needed him as much as he needed me, but before I could tell him the words, "fuck me, Charlie" darkness took me under completely and I quickly faded into the oblivion. 


	4. Chapter 4

CHARLIE BARBER

Saturdays were meant to be spent on ourselves, doing things like going to the gym, catching up on laundry, and watching college football. I worked all week so that I could enjoy the weekends, and yet here I was again driving back to the office on a Saturday. I spent countless hours running my practice. Empires weren't just built overnight, after all. Running a successful law firm meant long hours and, sometimes, blood, sweat and tears. I was no one's bitch when it came to law, and I damn well wasn't going to work for someone else.

I was too much of a hard-ass motherfucker and too confident in my own abilities to do so. As the doors to the elevator opened to my floor. I prepared myself to review the notes Rey would have left regarding my information and evidence she had found.

I would prepare what I needed for Monday, with her assistance whenever she decided to show up, and then we'd reconvene in court on Monday and prove Armitage's innocence. Bam, done. Celebrate and get laid. I stepped out into the bright open area of the empty reception of my firm's office, again appreciating the cleanliness. 

First impressions were very important in my book. Some of my clients might be shady, but it didn't mean that my office had to be. To maintain a pristine environment, I expected a lot---or maybe more accurately, nothing--from my staff. Don't bring your problems to work. And don't wallpaper anything with photos of your family. My employees were here to do a job, not take away from the professional environment by posting pictures of their dogs, cats, spouses, and however many kids they had. 

I loved my family and my niece and nephews, sure, but no one would find their pictures plastered anywhere in my office. Some called me a cold, callous asshole, but if that helped me win my battles then I was all for it.

When I pushed my key into my personal office door, surprise rolled through me to find it unlocked. What the hell? Did Rey forget to lock my door?

Upon opening it and entering my office, my senses were assaulted by the strong scent of... _Scotch?_ I frowned and looked around the room. Piles of papers were stacked here and there, and food containers littered my table. And there, head down on my desk, was a passed-out Rey Johnson. In one hand she held a glass with just about enough liquor left for a shot. In the other, she held the quill pen I had brought back from a trip to Venice. Next to her was my most expensive bottle of Scotch, completely drained. And partially tucked between her arm and the desk was a handwritten note of some sort. 

Everything I loathed about dirtiness crept over my skin like a centipede on a leaf. A low growl erupted from Rey, and I frowned. _Was that considered a snore?_ Her dark hair fell in tendrils over her face, and she looked so peaceful. 

I moved a few strands of her hair, and repugnance puled at my lips. She had been drooling. On my desk. Perfect. I moved her hand, causing the pen to fall to the floor, and then I pulled the paper out from under her arm and held it up.

"Dear, Mr. Charlie Barber," I started out loud. 

Maybe Rey would wake before I got to the end. I lifted my brow and adjusted my stance. I glanced down at her and then continued to read while she slept off the large amount of booze she had drank. 

"You, sir, are an asshole," I paused and looked down at her again. "I'm an asshole, huh?"

I quickly returned to her letter and read to myself about the wedding rehearsal events she had planned to attend starting yesterday. _Oh shit._ I totally forgot about her wedding plans. _Okay, so I may be an asshole if you played your cards right and depending on who you asked._ Well, she could have reminded me, so really, whose fault was it?

"Thanks to you, my friends will never forgive me for this." I snorted. "Yeah, whatever. Your friends will get over it, sweet-cheeks." I skimmed down until the word _ass_ grabbed my immediate attention. 

_You walk in here with that tight ass of yours, in your thousand-dollar designer clothes, and you smell so damn good. Even the days you come in with our workout clothes on. The sweaty clothes cling to your body like some sort of drive-me-fucking crazy carnal paint._

This last part really made me chuckle. I continued reading to myself; clearly enjoying what she had to say about me. However, the next bit made me stop dead in my tracks. 

_You take my breath away when you step into a room._

I quickly paused and looked down at Rey's sleeping form. Had she always felt this way about me? How had I not seen it? I turned my back to her and paced the room as I continued to read. 

_Your eyes seduce me in ways that only my erotic dreams can handle. You make me weak in the knees, and I can't look at you longer than a few seconds for fearing of lunging into your arms._

I stopped once more. I'd had staff members crush on me before but not quite like this. I continued her letter until the very end and then paced until I heard movement from the desk. I turned to face a waking Rey slowly rising from her slumber. I glanced down at the end of the letter and read a choice excerpt....just to get her going. All-in-all, the letter had _really._...stirred something feral within me that I couldn't let live or die. 

"So maybe the joke's on you. So why don't you take your tight-ass and your well-built body I could bounce a quarter off of and go the fuck to hell. Go jerk off to whatever woman is floating your boat this week. I'll pray for you that your dick doesn't magical just shrivel up and fall off! And before you even ask, no, I'm not going to buy you any more booze. So go fuck yourself, Charlie! Because you'll never get the chance to fuck me. I would have gladly bent over your desk and let you touch me. I would never commit that type of fuck-and-run with anyone else, but with you, I would. But not now. Not ever. That ship was fucking sailed! Never to be yours...." I paused and met her gaze. "Rey Johnson." 

I slowly folded the note, smirked, and took a step forward. She looked down and slowly swiped her sleeve across the door she'd left behind on my desk.

"I--" A blush crept up her neck to her pale cheeks. 

"Nice letter," I said and took another step towards her. "Did you enjoy my Scotch?"

Her skin flushed even further with a bright shade of red. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No, you're not. If you were sorry, you wouldn't have raided my cabinet and drank my best liquor, now would you?"

"So....am I fired?" she asked.

Rey met my gaze once more and bit down on her bottom lip. Her shirt was disheveled. It was what she had worn the day before, and the first few buttons were open at the top. The top of her breasts barely crested the material, but it was just enough to send a thrill of erotic thoughts through my mind. How had I not seen Rey like this before? Yes, she was a woman, but I'd never seen her as anything but an employee. 

She had just taken her bar exam, and I guessed part of me had looked at her as someone green, someone who knew nothing about nothing, and I liked my women smart. 

I wanted someone who understood their body and knew how to use it as well, not someone new to sex who had no idea what it meant to be seen as sexy. Was this the real Rey? Was I only seeing her for the first time as the real woman she really, truly was?

"We'll see, Ms. Johnson," I finally answered. "We will see. But I can promise you that I am quite intrigued by this little note of yours."

"I'm so, so sorry," she mumbled. "Oh, shit." She quickly held her hand over her mouth.

I chuckled. "Do I need to read this to you again?" I held it up, and her skin flushed crimson once more. If she didn't watch herself, she would have no blood left throughout the rest of her body. "Because I must say, it's really quite eye-opening, you know?"

"Mr. Barber, I didn't mean...what I mean to say is...I'm sorry, I just....well? My friends---"

"I could give a rat's ass about your damn friends, Ms. Johnson. You are here to work for me and earn your stripes as they say. You want to be a part of a successful law firm? This is how you get shit done. You stay the extra hours. You do the research. You expect the unexpected, and you prepare for it." I held up the letter once more. "However, I didn't quite expect something like _this_ from you." 

She held her face in her hands and remained seated in my chair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She wiped at her face, and her makeup from yesterday smeared across her cheeks.

Ahh hell, she was crying. I hated it when women cried. I was a hard-ass, but I did have a soft spot for women I may have made cry. Unless they deserve it, that is, but that was a totally different topic altogether.

"Rey, look," I said and stepped behind my desk. I crouched down in front of her to try again. "I do not apologize for making you stay late. However, I am sorry you missed your friend's wedding. That was a jack-hole thing for me to do. If you had told me, reminded me, I certainly would have understood and let you go."

"What?" she asked. "You would have let me go if I had reminded you?" She sat back in the chair and shook her head at me. "I think I'm pretty much fired here, so I'm just going to say what's on my mind."

"I haven't said that," I reminded her.

"I reminded you all week about my best friend's wedding. I had reminders on your calendar and mine. I even mentioned something about it during the court case this week. I'm a bridesmaid, and I didn't even show up for rehearsals. I canceled my hair and nail appointments with her, and if I'm lucky, she'll still met me stand for her. But I can't expect to be there if I'm here. I was here working for you while you decided to go out on a date. So yes, Mr. Barber, I drank your Scotch." 

She stood from the chair and paced the room. I stood to full height and set the letter on the table. I felt like the worse boss ever. With a sigh, I motioned to the paperwork.

"Why don't we do a quick review of what you found last night?" 

She rubbed her head and stood in the middle of the room. "I need a hot shower, to brush my teeth, and maybe even throw up just for the hell of it. Not all in that exact order."

I opened my desk and then pulled out a bottle of Tylenol and walked over to my liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of water. "Here," I handed the pills and water to her. "Take a moment, and then go to my bathroom to freshen up. There's an extra toothbrush there you can have." 

She nodded and popped the top to painkillers, took two pills, and then swallowed. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome. Now go clean yourself up. I'll go through what you've found. And Rey?"

"Yeah?"

"You said you still might be able to stand for your friend. What time is the wedding today?"

"Two p.m."

I nodded. "Call your friends. I'll have my driver take you home and then take you to the wedding." I smirked at my next set of works. "I'll even send along some of my best Scotch with you as well on my regards."

She groaned. "I am never touching Scotch again for the rest of my life." Rey turned toward the bathroom, and I chuckled in her wake. She paused by the door and turned to face. "Thank you."

I looked up and met her gaze. "For what? I can't imagine why you'd be thanking me for anything. From what I recall, you're furious with me. The words, 'that ship has fucking sailed'?"

She covered her face again. "I really wish that I could have destroyed that before you found it." She looked at me with a shrug. "The 'thanks' is for letting me go the wedding. And sending me something as a gift. I'm sure they'll appreciate it nonetheless." 

She pulled her phone from her pocket, dialed a number, and brought the phone to her ear as she closed the door behind her. Walking into my office today, I hadn't expected to find the note from Rey---nor Rey, for that matter---but it had opened my eyes to something that I hadn't realized before. Rey was a woman with needs. She wanted _me,_ and I never saw it. Hell, I never even saw _her._ She'd called me out in that in her letter. I was an asshole, and yet she still wanted me.

Why? I thought women wanted the theoretical knight in shining armor to rescue them from the the theoretical tower where the the theoretical dragon held them hostage. _Fuck....am I the dragon?_

With a groan, I folded the note and placed it in my desk drawer. I needed to focus on my case and getting Armitage free. Rey and her fucking lust note and would have to wait. I pulled my phone out and sent a text to my driver to have the limo ready in ten minutes. I reviewed the notes she left for me and was happy to discover this new witness was nowhere to be seen during the party. Rey also had the social media giant, Facebook, open to our apparent witness's page. 

Lo and behold, he was lip-locked with the accuser, Miss Kaydel Co-Connix. "Well, if that isn't a bunch of bull shit. How the hell did the prosecutor not get this information? Or were they just grasping at straws?"

Many times, lawyers tried to take down giants for the exposure. If this, court-appointed attorney had gone up against my frim and won, it would have gotten him reputable points. However, looking like an ass clown would only sink his reputation even further. Rey stepped out of the bathroom, and she appeared freshened. Her hair was smoothed back into a ponytail, the smeared makeup was a washed away, and her face was no longer red with blush.

"Thank you for the toothbrush," she offered in a soft voice. "I greatly appreciate it."

"No problem," I said and stood from my seat. "You did good finding all this information on our guy. I guess my problem now is, why did the prosecutor not discover this as well? Seems it was a waste of time, honestly." 

She nodded and held her gaze to the floor. "May I get that ride now?"

She was like a dormouse inside a trap that was hell-bent on keeping her in the dark. Nowhere to go, nowhere to run, yet the door was just in front of her.

I took a step toward her and pushed my hands into my pockets. "Yes, you may go. Please do send my apologies to the wedding party for keeping you. Were you able to get a hold of them?"

She nodded. "Yes, thanks."

"Great. Oh, before I forget." I sidestepped Rey and opened the liquor cabinet once more. I pulled out a bottle of Scotch and handed it to her. "My compliments to the happy couple. The limo will be waiting for you downstairs." She nodded, accepted the gift, and then turned toward the door. "Rey?"

She paused and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were a light-green with a tint of brown mixed within then. Her lips were slightly full with a soft pink tone. I suddenly felt the need to kiss her. 

"We'll pick this up on Monday morning."

She held my gaze for a moment, and a blush rushed her neck and cheeks. She looked to the floor, and then with a curt nod, she closed the door behind her. I walked over to my desk and leaned against the edge. I wasn't sure what to make of Rey Johnson. Whether it was for a fun frolic or for something more, there was something here to be tested. I wasn't ready to settle down by any means, but the honesty in Rey's hate note shifted something inside me, and damn it if I didn't want to explore that...and her.

Now that her cards were on the table, it was time for me to decided if I was up for the challenge or if I wanted to gold and walk away. And I never walked away from a good challenge. 


	5. Chapter 5

REY JOHNSON

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit over fucking shit and more shit! I couldn't believe what had happened. Charlie's Scotch...the letter. _I am so fucking fired!_ Riding in the car on the way to my home was like a high-end walk of shame, just without the good sex. Charlie had walked in to not only find his booze in one of my hands and a scorching sexual note in the other. And on his mouth? His sexy lips were pulled into a Cheshire grin. It was a smile I had witnessed him give his latest arm candy. It was a knowing smile---one of a man on the hunt for his latest prey. 

I opened my phone and looked over my missed calls, texts, and emails. Who sent emails anymore? Apparently my friends when they couldn't get ahold of me. Last night was the rehearsal dinner, and I'd missed it. No one should be surprised. This new career I'd opted for had taken up so much of my time.

Between studies, my bar exam, and working in Charlie's office, it was a wonder I still had any persona connections at all. I ground my teeth and pressed the Call button to dial the bride-to-be and held my breath as her phone rang.

"Well the hell are you?" Rose answered.

"Hey, yeah, I'm safe. No worries about me."

"Dude, it's my fucking wedding day! No time for sarcasm!" She sighed into the phone, and I felt like foul shit. "Listen, are you still coming?"

"Yes," I told her in a lowered voice. "I was forced to work last night." 

I wanted to tell her all about drinking Charlie's Scotch and my drunken note to him, but all in due time. Today was her day, not my day to spoil. _Keep your head on straight, Johnson. She has enough on her hands to have to worry about your horrible decision-making._

"We all figured as much, but hey, a nice note would have been really helpful that you wouldn't make the dinner last night. Damn it, Mom!" she yelled. "Don't make me bleed! That was close!"

"Why the hell would your mom make you bleed?" I asked, hoping to get the topic off me.

"She's trying to pin my dress. Apparently, I lost too much weight! Who the hell looses too much weight, Rey!"

I laughed softly into the phone. I love Rose. We had been friends since high school when her family move to New York. She joined one of the clubs I was a part of, and we had been inseparable ever since. 

"How far away are you from the church?" Rose asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I hadn't paid much attention. I looked up to the red light we were at. "We're driving down 45th Street and should be to you soon. I need to pick up a few things first, and then I'm there. I promise."

Rose wanted to marry in the historic church district in downtown Manhattan. It was a large white-off cathedral, and many of the windows were stained glass. It was beautiful and completely suited her style. When I decided to marry, I'd be more than happy running off to Vegas and getting married by Elvis. My parents would never forgive me for it, but it would be my wedding, not theirs. 

"Okay, we're in the back changing room. I have your dress here. I had hoped you'd show up today and not pick your fucking job over my damned wedding day."

"Rose, I said I was sorry about last night. I promise, I'll make it up to you. And Charlie sends his congratulations with a large bottle of Scotch." 

"Good. I have cups here. Let's break it open to help soothe my nerves." She groaned into the phone. "Fucking wedding shoes. Just get here, Rey. Bye." 

She hung up before I even had a chance to say anything back. I tucked my phone in my bag and leaned toward the driver. "I'll give you a large tip if you can get me there in five minutes."

The driver looked in the rearview mirror, his brown eyes staring back at me. "Miss, there's no need to tip. It's my pleasure. Hold tight. We'll be there soon."

With a sigh, I sat back in the seat and rested my head. Closing my eyes, I could only imagine what I'd look like walking in. Yesterday's makeup and clothes, hair not done...I really was the worst friend ever. This was the part of my job I hated. I detested being away from everyone, but if I wanted this to work, I needed to put in the hours, the work, the blood, sweat and tears. Because if I didn't, then what would be the point at all?

I needed the experience. The experience came with causes. Cases only came because they knew you won.

"All right, miss, we're here."

I lifted my head and checked the time on my phone. I was still early enough for me to shower and rush over to the church and stand up for my friend. Dry shampoo and make up will do wonders for everyone. 

~*****~

 _Always the bridesmaid, never the bride._ What a way to chastise someone for not being the center of attention. It was a horrible statement to mutter to anyone, and of course, today, all the single ladies heard it from all the married ladies. Why was that such a thing? I sat in a plastic chair with my legs crossed and sipped on my Moscato. The wedding had gone off perfectly. Rose was beautiful, and her dress was the highlight of the occasion. Her new husband admitted to renting a tuxedo. 

I'll never understand the fuss of a wedding dress when the groom's attire seemed to be nothing but a joke. Another bridesmaid I had never met sat at the table with me, nursing a glass of beer.

The DJ blasted the Wobble song, and every person who knew the song---and also those who didn't---danced on the floor the best they could. Our dresses were peach colored, sleeveless, and fitted down our knees, where they flared out in tulle. I felt like we were going to our high school prom all over again. It wasn't that I didn't like weddings. I didn't mind that I felt very single....and had Charlie on my mind. Across the room, a group of men were talking. Most had already removed their sports jackets and loosened their ties. A younger one with sandy-blond hair made eye contact with me and smiled. 

I laughed under my breath and downed the rest of my Moscato. One of the waiters walked by, and I snagged a fresh glass from his tray. As I settled back into my seat, the sandy-blond guy started crossing the floor toward me.

_Oh, I am so not in the mood for this right now. Please, ask someone else. Please, please, please, ask someone else...._

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

 _Well....shit,_ I muttered to myself underneath my breath. There wasn't enough booze right now in all the world to make this day disappear, was there? _No, I suppose there was not._

"No, thanks."

"No, thanks, you don't want to dance, or 'no thanks' you're not sure how? I'd be more than happy to teach you." 

I looked up at him and frowned. "What?"

"Come on, let's dance."

I shook my head. "No. Go away."

"Ahh, come on--"

"The lady said no," the other bridesmaid said. "Take a fucking hint, dude."

I glanced over to her and raised my wine glass. "Mazel tov."

She grinned and followed with a simple, "Thank you."

"Now, please, go and ask someone else," I said. "My feet really hurt, I'm hungover, and I confessed to the lawyer that I work for that I want to do awful things to him. So unless you have a get-out-of-jail-free card or a way to turn back time, step back and leave me alone."

His brows rose, and he took a few steps back in retreat. "Right, sorry I even asked." He then disappeared into the crowd of dancers. 

I turned back to the table, grateful to be alone once more. I probably looked like a princess completely washed up after waiting for her knight in shining armor to arrive....but he never did. 

"Fuck that," I said to myself.

"Fuck what?" the other bridesmaid asked.

I glanced up at her and just shook my head. "Ignore me. I'm just musing over today's events."

"Something about doing awful things to your boss?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, that happened." I leaned onto my left arm and sipped my wine. "I missed rehearsal last night because of him."

She nodded. "We all heard about that. I'm Paige, Rose's sister."

"Rey," I said and reached across the table with hand. She took it and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to finally meet you, Paige." 

"Nice to meet you, too."

A silence fell between us for a bit. "Are you here alone?"

She nodded. "Yep, I sure am. Seems that you are as well?"

"Yes, I am." I looked over to the dancefloor. Rose and her new husband, Finn, too to the song they had picked out for the wedding dance. "I'm really happy for her, but I'm in no rush to find my own Mr. Right."

"But if Mr. Right Now were to approach?" Paige asked.

I looked at her and laughed. I liked her. "Yeah, Mr. Right Now has been fun in the past."

"So, what're your plans come Monday?"

I frowned and lifted a brow. "What do you mean?"

"When you have to go back to work with that lawyer. Are going to walk in like a baller, or will you walk in and not make any eye contact?"

I shrugged. "I haven't quite figured that out just yet. I'm more of a dragon kind of girl. I don't need a man to rescue me from a tower. I'll tame the dragon and ride the beast out of the kindgom."

She laughed and pointed to me. "I love that! That shit needs to be on a shirt or in a book!"

"Well, Paige, damn it, make it happen!"

"So," she asked and leaned over. "Do you plan to line up for the bouquet toss?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Hell, no. You?"

She shrugged. "If it's an opportunity to push someone aside who is desperate enough to grab for it? Then yes, yes I'll play."

I shook my head. "You play dirty, don't you?"

She winked. "Yes, I do, but it's better than not playing at all."

"Maybe, but I don't need the bouquet." 

"No, but you can take a flower from it," said another voice. I glanced up to find Rose standing in front of me. She pulled a peace-colored rose from her bouquet and handed it over to me. "I decided to say fuck tradition and do my own thing. So instead of having people push each other out of the way"---Rose glared over at Paige---"I thought it would be fun to give everyone a rose from my arrangement instead and send them off with well-wishes for the future."

I brought the rose close and inhaled the familiar fragrance. I noticed the center of it was a dark peach, almost pink. The outer wedges of the flower were almost white. 

"The roses are beautiful," I told her. "So are you."

She smiled. "Thank you. Now, if I may be so bold to ask, will you dance with me?"

I grinned and stood. "Well hell, I can't turn down the bride."

"Exactly my point! Now let's go!"

We made it to the dancefloor just as the DJ was starting one of our high school dance songs. The Spice Girls' "Wannabe" started, and I couldn't help laughing. Rose took my hand and pulled me to the center of the floor. I laughed and held my hands in the air while I danced with my friend who had long since forgiven me for not showing up to her rehearsal last night. Across the room stood a man in the shadows. He wore a tuxedo, and his dark hair was styled. I couldn't quite see who he was for the darkness that fell over his features, but even from here, he had the build of a familiar man.

When a camera flashed, my breath stilled in my chest. "Charlie?" I whispered and looked toward the darkened corner of the room.

The man moved toward the light, and I realized then it wasn't him. I closed my eyes and flinched when my arm was grabbed. I looked to see Rose holding on to me. 

"When I get back from my honeymoon, we'll talk about what happened. Is that okay?"

I smiled and pulled her into my arms. "Oh, woman. You're always doing everything for me. No, it's okay. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You go on have your honeymoon and start making babies. I'll see you when you get back." 

I let her go and stepped back. I nodded and turned when her new husband took her by the hand. I headed back toward the table I was sitting at with Paige, the other bridesmaid, and decided that it would be a good time to make a break for it. I needed some air, I was tired, and I wanted to sleep through the rest of this weekend. When Monday arrived, I had absolutely no idea what I would be walking into.


	6. Chapter 6

CHARLIE BARBER

I wasn't sure how many times I had read Rey's love/hate note over the course of the weekend, but the folds of the paper began to tear. Darkened spots that marked the page where Scotch had splashed when she'd written the letter became something of a road map. My fingers traced over the parchment, and the indentions of her scribe reminded me these were her words that were indeed on the paper. Not many people called me out on bullshit, but Rey had. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but it had opened my eyes to something I hadn't realized before. 

Ret Johnson was a beautiful woman. She was just a few years younger than me, but she held herself in high regard and never let her emotions show. Well, at least until Saturday morning, that is, when I walked in on her hungover and passed out on my desk.

She'd had fear in her eyes when she woke to me holding the letter she'd written. I was positive she'd never had any intention of me finding it, yet here we were. Rey wasn't the type I normally would go after. Maybe what I chased was only for sport. Get them in my bed, fuck them, and then show them to the door.

Sex was no more than just two people enjoying the benefits of an orgasm and the occasional blowjob. I never kissed anyone. That was too intimate by my standards. 

The last woman I kissed was my ex, but that was before I walked in on her fucking my former best friend. I liked tall, slender women with long hair and full breasts, full asses. I usually preferred blondes over brunettes and redheads. And I had no time in my life for a relationship or children. My life was solely about me, and it had been that way for a long time. I had been called shallow more than once. It had never bothered me in the past. If the words came from Rey, however, I was pretty sure it would make me cringe.

Now I found myself wanting to see Rey walk through the office door, briefcase in her hand. I wanted to see her in her office attired of knee-length skirt, blouse, and heels. Her hair was dark and her eyes a hazel green that I felt I could get lost in. 

Her body was fit but not the slender build I normally went after. Rey had curves in all the right places. She had this hourglass figure that up until Saturday morning, I never noticed before. Now I wanted to hold her naked in my arms and devour every single curve. Why? Why now? Because she'd told me off. Because she wanted me, needed me, and long for me to notice her. And I was the asshole who never did.

Her tits were stacked, her ass was round and perfect, and her legs were just long enough to wrap around my waist. I also wanted them wrapped around my neck while I tasted and licked her, ass to clit.

My dick throbbed, and I needed some relief. I wanted to lay Rey in my bed and fuck her. Maybe doing so would get her out of my head. She would be a conquest of sorts.

Maybe it was the age-old "wanting something you can't have" mentality. Whatever it was, I wanted it. I wanted _her._ But now...she resented me for never noticing her. That could be hard to come back from but not impossible. I love a good challenge, and Rey was next. 

~*****~

I looked up at the clock in my office---five minutes to eight. Rey normally would have been here by now. Would she come back after what had happened Saturday morning? Would she brave her nerves and face me? Hell, would I face her? The door to my firm opened, and I glanced down the hall to see Rey walking through it. For a moment, she was a goddess of sex appeal, and hell I didn't want to confess my sins.

"Good morning," she said to the receptionists with a smile. 

Rey wore a white button-down blouse with a thing black ribbon tied into a bow under her folded lace collar. She had on a calf-length pencil skirt that was fitted to her body and heels that lifted her by a few inches. My mouth watered, and I wanted to devour the woman there on the spot. Her long locks of curled hair were pulled to one side and tumbled over her shoulder. Her lips were painted with a light red-gloss, and every part of me wanted to see them around the head of my cock. 

"Fuck," I groaned and rubbed a hand over the erection inside my pants. 

How did this woman suddenly have such control over me, when I never saw it prior to now? _You want what you can't have._ Rey crossed the reception area, her heels striking the tile with each step. Her steps seemed to grow slower, and she started at the floor and hugged her arms around her chest. Was she upset? Nervous? Scared?

"Good morning, Rey," I said before I realized I'd even muttered the words. 

She raised her eyes and met mine, and her endless sea of hazel green. God, did I want her. She stepped into my office and stood in the entry way. "Good morning, Mr. Barber."

"Close the door, please," I asked.

And she did, her body seemed timid. Like a rabbit was being stalked by a fox and said fox just invited her into his den. The door clicked closed, and Rey slowly turned back to face me. Her eyes were once again focused on the door. 

"What can I help you with this morning, Mr. Barber?"

She was scared shitless, and rightfully so. She'd told the owner of the firm she was working for in hopes of landing a position once her bar exam results came in to, more or less, fuck off. 

"I just wanted to thank you for the evidence you found to support our client, is all."

She nodded. "It was nothing, sir."

"Rey," I said and stood from my seat. "Please, come sit down. I think we need to have a talk."

She closed her eyes, and her throat moved as she swallowed. She nodded and approached one of the chairs across my desk. The perfume she wore filled the air with a light floral fragrance. It wasn't too heavy and was perfect for her. She sat down and set her briefcase down on the floor next to herself. Rey then crossed one leg over the other, her skirt just short enough that I could barely see the underside of her thigh.

I imagined my hand running up the outside of her leg while I settled between her thighs, ready to claim her as mine.

"Yes, Mr. Barber?" she asked, breaking my thoughts. 

With a sigh, I crossed to the front of my desk and leaned against the edge of it. "Saturday morning, when I came into the office--"

"Yes, I'm so sorry," she blurted out and cut me off. "I honestly don't know what the hell I was even thinking, it never should have happened."

I raised my brows. She still refused to meet my gaze. "Is that really how you feel, Rey?"

She lifted her gaze and met mine. "I'm sorry? What do you mean?"

"Are you really sorry you wrote that letter to me?" She tried to meet my gaze, but her eyes darted back and forth as if she wasn't sure which eye to focus on. I pulled my lips into a smirk and lifted a brow. "To say it surprised me would be a bit of an understatement."

She nodded, blinked, and then looked to my chest, back to my eyes, and then to the floor once more. "If you don't mind, Mr. Barber," she started, "can we just forget that it ever happened?"

A blush crept up her neck to her ears and then her cheeks. I wanted to watch her squirm in her seat. I cleared my throat to give her my thoughts on the subject. No, I didn't want to forget it. I wanted to explore our options and see where we ended up. I wanted to take her right here on my desk. I wanted to grip her ass as tight as I could while I fucked her from behind. Instead, she squared off her shoulders and sat up straight in her chair.

"I have work to do, sir, so if you don't mind..." She began to stand, when the intercom buzzed.

"Mr. Barber," the receptionist called, "you have a visitor. And I'm so sorry, sir, she insisted on seeing you." 

As she finished her sentence, my door opened. On the other side was my ex-girlfriend, Nicole. The woman was long and lean, her short bottle-blonde hair pulled into a tiny ponytail. She had bright blue-eyes, was tan by the way of spray tanning, and was the vainest person I'd ever met....aside from myself. She smirked and stepped inside. She wave off Rey as if she weren't even in the room.

"Charlie, darling," she began. "There's a fundraiser in a few weeks, and your firm has donated quite a bit if money for the cause. It's a black-tie social event, and we simply must go together." 

I raised my brows. Who the fuck did Nicole think she was talking to? 

"Of course, I know about the event. My firm puts it on every year, so yes, I'm aware." I glanced over at Rey and found a small grin tugging at her lips. "Furthermore, I'm already going with someone else. Now, unless you have anything related to the case I'm currently working on, Rey and I are quite busy this morning. We have a court appearance to prepare for."

Nicole glanced down to Rey and sneered in disgust. That told me everything I needed to know about Nicole...as well as myself. For the first time, I saw myself through someone else's eyes, and to be quiet honest, it was extremely disappointing. 

"So what are you saying, exactly?" she asked.

"We have court," Rey repeated and stood from her chair. "Mr. Barber, I'll grab everything we need for today. I'll see about scheduling a celebratory party for our defendant, if you'd like?"

I nodded. "Sounds perfect. I appreciate that, and I know our guy will be too." 

"Who are you defending this time?" Nicole asked.

"Well, if you were actually interested, you should turn on the news," Rey told her as she turned and walked out of my office door. 

"Well, she's just a little bitch, isn't she?" Nicole said. 

I smiled. I couldn't help myself. "No, she's more of a promising up-and-coming future attorney who just took the bar. She has a bright future head of her. Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do. I'm sure you'll find a date for the event. Or go stag. No difference to me, Nicole."

I stepped past her and held my door open. Looking at the woman now, I didn't know what I ever saw in her. It was crazy I once thought she could've been the love of my life. At least until I'd caught her fucking my former best friend, Poe. 

Nicole huffed and walked past me as she left. "You'll regret not taking me, Charlie," she warned. "You know I have the connections to make you big."

"Jannah," I called to our receptionist. "Please, would you make sure that Nicole leaves and the door closes on her way out."

"Yes, sir," Jannah called back. 

"Fuck you, Charlie," Nicole growled. 

I slowly smirked and shook my head. "That ship has fucking sailed, sweetheart." 

I closed the door to my office and the words that _ship has fucking sailed_ haunted my mind. They were the same exact words that Rey had written in her letter. With a low sigh, I crossed my office, picked up my briefcase, and out inside everything we needed to get this case dropped. Soon, Armitage Hux would be exonerated. 

The question though, was what would become of Kaydel Co-Connix after all of this? Armitage's family would countersue, but would he agree to it? He was a nice kid, but his family was wealthy, and everything rode on their name and image. I looked over at the clock. We had an hour before the court session began. I walked toward my office and reached for the handle just as the door opened. Rey stood before me.

Our eyes met, and for a brief moment, we were both motionless, speechless. There was a longing in her eyes that passed between us, and then like magic, it was gone again.

"We should probably go now," she said.

I nodded and held up my briefcase. "Armitage should be a free man before the day's end."

"Good, then let's go get this done." 


	7. Chapter 7

REY JOHNSON

"The jury finds the defendant... _not_ guilty," declared the jury foreman.

The new witness's testimony had been thrown out, and Armitage was now a free man. His name and standing would require some massive cleanup, but we already had a PR firm working on just that. Armitage shook Charlie's hand and then turned to face me.

"You both are amazing! Thank you so much!"

"Please, it was all Mr. Barber," I told him. And it was. He was the attorney here. I was basically just his errand girl.

Kaydel Co-Connix's parents screamed out something about injustice as their daughter, in tears, kept saying, "I'm so sorry," to Armitage. There was sadness in his eyes. He was so happy to be free, but the cost was the friendship he had with this girl. It was unfortunate she'd gone after his family's money. Greed was such a nasty sin. As was lust. I looked over at Charlie and found him watching me. My stomach fluttered with butterflies. I smiled and looked away. 

I needed some air. It felt like the courtroom was closing in the closer I stood next to Charlie. I glanced at him again, and he was closing the distance to me. Shit. Double shit. _What am I supposed to do now?_

"Well done, Johnson. I couldn't have done with without you."

I smiled and offered him a slight shrug. "Yes, you would have. It may just have taken you longer." 

He chuckled. "Listen, not that this is done, I'd really like to ask--"

My phone rang, and it jolted me right where I stood. I didn't know of Charlie was about to ask me out of ask me I I had received my bar results. I didn't know what I would say if he asked me to grab a drink with him. It wouldn't be Scotch, that much I knew. But why would he ever ask me out on a date? He was so far out of my league.

In my dreams an home with my trusty BOB were the only places I could imagine myself with Charlie and not have to worry about rejection. 

"I'm sorry. Hang on." I said and fished my phone out. It was my sister. "Hey," I answered. "I'm in court." Well, sort of. The case was over, but she didn't need to know that.

"Obviously not or you wouldn't have answered. I watched enough _Law and Order_ to know that much." 

I laughed into the phone. She was a stylist into downtown Manhattan and loved what she did. She was a sort of therapist for the majority of her clients. 

"Well, you got me there. But listen, let me call you back. We just won and need to pack up."

"Oh, did the fellow rapist get off?" she asked.

"That's not very nice. He was set up."

"Sure, whatever. Just call me when you get time. We'll go have a drink to celebrate your big win." 

"Love you too, sis. Goodbye," I hung up without giving her the opportunity to say anything further. 

"Who was that?" Charlie asked.

"My sister. Well, congratulations today on your big win, Mr. Barber. You truly deserve it. Unless there's anything else, I need to run, I'm afraid. Leave whatever needs to be completed on my desk, and I'll have it done ASAP."

He nodded. "Very well. Enjoy your afternoon, Rey." 

I met his gaze once more. I didn't want him to ask me whatever had had planned, so I hurried out of the courtroom before he changed his mind and I combusted from overheating with lust. 

~*****~

I pulled up to my sister's shop in Midtown. The day was still young, and the atmosphere was busy with women getting their hair washed, cut, and colored. In the back sat pedicure massage chairs, and behind that was the massage parlor and facial rooms. My sister did it all and made pretty good money at it. She loved what she did and had tried many times to get me to go into the business with her. 

"I'm not one to have enough patience to work with hair or listen to why so-and-so's won't have sex with her," I'd told her many times over. 

"It's not all about that," she had countered. "It's fun and you get to make great...and interesting friends."

Eight years later, I was out of school and waiting to hear if I'd passed the bar exam. "REY!" 

My sister, Kira, called as I opened the door to her shop. She was a complete extrovert. Kira could talk to almost anyone anywhere. She never knew any enemy. Her hair was shoulder-length and caramel-brown. She loved wearing dark-red lipstick. Today's outfit consisted of a halter top, denim capris, and ballet flats. She wore a black smock to protect her clothes. The front of it was lined with hair clips, her sheers and clippers, and a dust brush. 

"Hey, sis," I said as I stepped inside. 

She stopped what she was doing long enough to meet me halfway for a hug. "What brings you by?"

With a sigh, I lowered my eyes to the floor. "I think I fucked up," I whispered. 

She tilted my head up and looked into my eyes. Her green eyes had specks of hold and looked just like our mother's. "Did you fuck your boss?"

I shook my head. "Not yet." 

"Oh, hell," she whispered and laid her hands on my shoulders. "Let me finish up Mrs. Gilbert here, and I'll clear my schedule for the rest of today." She turned to the receptionist and grabbed her book. "I need you to mark me out after my current appointment. Family emergency." 

The receptionist nodded and punched a few keys into the computer and then picked up the phone to start making the necessary calls. 

"Are you all right?" she asked.

I nodded. "Go and finish up. I'll wait for you."

She touched my cheek and then pointed toward the back wall. "Room three is empty. Go wait in there. The room is dark and is relaxing. There are essential oils in there to help in meditation."

"Okay." I told her and made my way to the back. 

The smell of hair color and hairspray faded as I walked into the back massage area. Room three, as she directed, was indeed empty. I closed the door behind me. On the wall just inside was my sister's license to perform esthetician work, with an image of her. She was beautiful and had an infectious smile. With a sigh, I walked over to the massage table and ran my hand over the top. It was soft and warm. Curious, I lifted the blanket and found a heating pad turned on at the ready.

Not wanting to waste this opportunity, I set my purse down, removed my shoes, and climbed onto the table. I lay down on my back, laid my head on the bed pillow, and closed my eyes. The heat was welcoming, and the smell of eucalyptus was nice. Images of Charlie drifted through my mind. 

From his business suit to his workout clothes, the man was sexy as sin. My mind immediately went to a dream I often had of Charlie...

_He slid his hands down my sides, and his lips captured mine. He was soft like velvet and tasted like the juiciest plum. I wanted to devour him. He tilted my head up and pulled my body firm against his. He slipped a hand behind my head and tangled it in my hair. Giving my hair a firm tug, he yanked my head to the side and nibbled up and down my neck._

I gasped and slid my fingers under my skirt and panties. Pressing my fingers against my clit, I moved them side to side, my mind telling me it was Charlie who had his fingers inside me. 

_"I need you, Charlie," I whispered._

_"Let me fuck you, Rey," he teased back._

A sudden knock at the door brought me from my daydream with a gasp. I quickly pulled my fingers from my sex, straightened myself, and sat up. 

"Hey, sis, you in here?" Kira asked and peeked inside. 

"You said room three," I told her and prayed the blush on my cheeks wouldn't give away what I was just doing.

She stepped inside, and I hoped she couldn't hear my heart beating five hundred miles an hour. "Okay, so let's talk." She locked the door and climbed onto the table next to me. "Spill. What happened?"

I gripped the table I was sitting on and closed my eyes. I told her about almost missing Rose's wedding, drinking a fuck ton of Charlie's Scotch, and writing the damn letter. 

"Okay, so you wrote a nastygram. No harm, no foul. Right?" 

I opened my eyes and looked at her. My brows were pressed together with a plea for her to read my mind without me saying as much. I bit my lip and felt my eyes burn with the threat of tears.

"Oh, shit," she whispered. "How did he get the letter?"

"I sort of passed out on his desk. I woke up Saturday morning, and he was standing over me." 

"Oh, shit," she repeated. "Okay, so tell me this. Was he smiling or frowning when he saw you?"

"More smiling and than frowning."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. 

I looked to my hands and twisted my fingers together. "He had this sort of sly smile, like a Cheshire grin."

"Oh, hell," she squealed. "You do realize he wants you as much as you want him?"

I frowned and met her gaze. "And you've officially sniffed too much hair product." 

"Oh, my God, sis. Do you not see what is right in front of your bloody nose? If he was smiling, smirking, or whatever, if he looked like he wanted to eat you alive, this is totally a good thing!"

I bit my lip once more. "Really?" I whispered. I had a hard time believing this, but he _had_ smiled at me. 

"Yes," she insisted. "And as your sister, I encourage you to go for it."

"Go for what exactly?" I asked. "I'm so not his type."

"Well, what is his type, then?"

I sighed and shrugged. "Tall and thin. Model perfect body, hadn't eaten for days, and hangs on to every single word he says as if they're absolutely interested." 

"And they have no idea what he's talking about, am I right?"

I nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, you know what he's talking about when you converse, and there's a chance you are his type but he didn't realize it until you pointed it out to him." 

"I pointed nothing out other than I'm a damned fool who should have never touched his bloody Scotch. Said letter would never be in existence."

"You're such a pussy," she stated.

I frowned. "Excuse me? I'm a what?"

"You're a fucking pussy, sis. Tall, dark and gorgeous wants you, and you're too scared to pounce on him like the sexy feline that you are." 

I laughed at her explanation. "Number one, I'm not a fucking cat. And two, I'll never pounce on him." 

"And why the fuck not?" she asked. "What's stopping you? Honestly?"

"Well, the simple fact that I'm working at his law firm and he could throw me away in disgust." 

She groaned and hopped down from the table. "Do me a favor all right and the world a favor too while you're at it and fucking go for it, okay? Please, do us both the favor. Hook up with him, get married, and have children so that Mum will quit asking me when I'm getting married and having my own babies."

I laughed and hopped down from the table. I pulled Kira into a hug. "Well, you are older."

"And I rather like my single life, thank you very much," she told me. "I'm not ready to settle down." 

"I'm not either."

She smiled and cupped my cheeks. "You may not have a choice once you go for Charlie Barber. He may sweep you clean off your feet."

"Yeah, and that's what I'm afraid of," I told her. "Falling for the man and him end up breaking my heart." 

"But you won't know that until you take the leap of faith. Now stop being a scaredy-cat and show him what kind of partner on the prowl you are."

I shook my head at her. "I'm not a cat, Kira."

"Well, then prove to me that you're not a pussy either, Rey. Man up and pounce him hard!"

"You're fucking relentless!"

"And you love me for it! Come on, I'm off the rest of the day. Let's go shopping and find you something sexy to wear into the office tomorrow."

With a low sigh, I nodded in agreement. I did enjoy shopping, and hanging with my sister always out me in a better mood. Tomorrow would be here soon enough. And if Kira had her way, she'd dress me up in something way too sexy for the office...and part of me wanted her to do just that. 


	8. Chapter 8

CHARLIE BARBER

The very next day after we won the case for Armitage Hux, our PR firm was already hard at work at clearing his name. Some firms frowned upon us, as we represented defendants, but if the person was innocent, I considered it an honorable challenge to prove it. I lived for the adrenaline that pumped through my veins when it heard, "not guilty." I haven't lost a case yet, but I also didn't represent people who weren't innocents. And what many failed to realize was that I had resources at my disposal to help victims of crimes.

I might not have represented them, but I also didn't want to see them suffer. Rey hadn't been in the office--that I could see anyway---since I won the case. I wasn't sure if she was avoiding me or if she was following up on other tings. I just hoped it was the latter. 

I wanted to see her, talk to her, devour every single inch of her. I crossed my office to pour another cup of coffee, when I heard the front door open. 

"Good morning, Rey," Jannah, our receptionist, called.

"Good morning, Jannah. How are you?" Rey returned.

"Fine, and you?"

"I'm good, thank you."

"Hey, you got a new outfit?" I heard Jannah ask.

"Yes, thanks for noticing. It's not too much, though, is it?"

Now curious beyond my control, I peeked out my door and could only see Jannah's backside. "No, not at all. It's beautiful! I wish I were bold enough to wear red like that. You look stunning!"

"Well, thank you, then." Rey's heels struck the tile as she made he way down the hallway. I leaned against the counter to my coffeemaker and sipped my liquid gold, and I almost choked on the hot substance when she passed by. Rey had on candy-apple red pants, a black satin top, and a matching red dress jacket. She wore black and red heels that complemented the outfit and carried a black purse. Her hair was pulled to the nape of her neck in a twisted bun with her red and black pearl pins holding it firmly in place. She looked like she'd just stepped off the runway. 

She glanced over to me through the entryway, and it was as if time had slowed. Her ruby-red lips pulled into a smile as she passed and continued down the hall. 

Instantly, I grew hard. What the hell was this woman doing to me? How did I not notice her; her body, her tits, her ass, her lips, her legs...her...before now? Once she was out of sight. I reached down with my free hand and adjusted my growing erection. 

Last night, I'd opened a bottle of Scotch and had a few drinks while I re-read her letter....again. I'd imagined she was there with me, stroking my cock as she sat on her knees. It wasn't often I masturbated to thoughts of a woman, but last night I had. Once at my desk and then again in the shower back at my apartment. In the shower, I would have pressed her hands to the tile and pulled her hair back while I took her from behind.

Her perfect ass slapping against my pelvis while we fucked with hot water streaming over our bodies. "Mr. Barber?"

And speaking of the devil as her voice filled the silence of my office. I looked up to Rey standing in my doorway with her red and black outfit. I smiled, and it took every ounce of power I had to gold her gaze. I wanted to run the length of her body with my eyes, imagine her naked legs around my face and then my waist. 

"Yes?" I asked through a crack in my voice. I cleared my throat and tried yet again. "Yes, Rey?"

"All the documentation has been completed and turned into the court." 

"Very good." 

"Will there be anything else I can do for you today?"

Whoa.. _.Yes, there's so much you can do for me. You can start by dropping to your knees and let me fuck that pretty little mouth of yours. Then lie down on my desk so I can fuck you the way you need to be fucked._

"No, that will be all for now." She nodded and began to turn away. "Rey?"

She lifted her brows and looked over at me. "Yes, Mr. Barber?"

"You did really well on this case. You're going to make an amazing attorney one day." 

She slowly smiled, and it was genuine. "Thank you, sir."

"And please, call me, Charlie?"

She nodded and crossed her hands in front of her body. "Thank you, Charlie." 

Hearing my name on her lips caused my dick to twitch again. _Down boy._

"Before you go, can I ask you a question?" I asked.

She nodded again. "Of course you can, Mr. Barber---I-I mean, Charlie."

"Step into my office first."

Rey hesitated for a moment and then stepped inside. I moved around her and closed the door behind her. She met my gaze. She absolutely took my very breath away.

"Since we won the case like I always knew we could," I started and put some space between us. "I'd really like to take you out for a celebratory drink tonight."

Her face flushed, and she looked down to the floor. She crossed her arms over her body and hugged herself tightly. Rey bit her lip and then met my gaze. She was so beautiful. There was a beauty about her I don't think she realized she had. Still, I could kick myself for not seeing it before now. I took a hesitant step toward her, and Rey blinked and slightly back stepped. 

"A drink?" she asked.

I nodded and took yet another step closer to her. "The Hux's won, and we should celebrate our shared victory."

Although I rarely did this for other cases, this one was different. And this wasn't about the case but about getting Rey out from the office and into a more private setting. 

"Is that really such a good idea?" she asked in a small, soft voice, her eyes never leaving mine.

Fear did not appear in her eyes, but longing....maybe desperation...did. She raised her brows and parted her lips. I could see the crest of her teeth, and then her tongue quickly darted out and licked her upper lip. It drove me out of my goddamn mind not to be able to kiss her right then and there.

"I'd like to think so," I offered.

As much as I wanted to press her to the wall and kiss her, I decided to keep some space between us. It was better for her since we were technically _still_ in my office. The last thing I ever wanted was to ruin Rey's reputation before her career even started or for her to feel pressured into anything with me. I could smell her floral perfume, so light yet so intoxicating as well. It had become something I wanted to smell every day.

"Charlie," she whispered. "About the letter---"

"Don't," I quickly cut her off. "I want to thank for for what you did."

Double entendre---thank her for her help on the case and thank her for opening my eyes to seeing her for the very first time. There was also a hint of rejection. I could see it, feel it. I didn't handle it well, but with Rey, I could be a patient man. 

Finally, she offered me a nod. "Okay. I'll have a drink with you. But....just one."

I smiled and the weight of rejection lifted off from my chest. "Great!" I sounded almost a little too excited. "How about tonight, after we're done for the day? My treat?"

"That soon?" she asked.

"Why not?" I took a small step closer to her.

I couldn't help myself. My eyes drifted down to her breasts. They were held perfectly in the bra she wore, the top of her mounds peeking out just over the top of her blouse. Her waist was slender but curvy. Her hips were a little wide but perfect in her hourglass shape. And her legs ended in those sexy-as-hell shoes. I looked into her hazel eyes once more.

"I'd be honored if you joined me."

She cleared her throat, and her breath huffed in delectation. She pursed her lips together, the red rouge rubbing together in earnest. "Okay, then," she whispered.

Before I realized what I was doing, I drew my finger over the edge of her cheekbone down to her jawline. Once I realized what I was doing, I immediately dropped my hand and turned away from her.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch you like that." I met her gaze once more, and my hazed craziness evaporated at her smile. "I'll send you a text of the time and place."

She looked to the ground. As I turned my back to circle my desk, she cleared her throat.

"Will there be anything else you need?" she asked.

I needed to let go of the desperation of wanting to touch her, the need of _I want to fuck you on the edge of my desk right goddamned now._

"No, we're done here. Thank you again for your time," I picked up some papers and faked interest in what I was reading.

"Very well, Charlie," she said, and I heard my door open. 

I glanced over my shoulder and watched Rey disappear on the other side as it closed. I let a long breath go. Every bit of my being had wanted to press her against the wall and kiss her, but I knew that I shouldn't. I put the papers down and rubbed my face a few times. I picked up my cell, pulled up the bar a few blocks from my office, and called to make a reservation for two.

If we were going to do this, it had to be perfect---not just something that was thrown together last minute.

I glanced down and looked at the erection pressing against my dress pants. I wanted to go into my private bathroom and relieve myself of this pain, this agony she was putting us both through, but a sadistic part of me wanted to see what tonight brought. And I simply cold not wait. 


	9. Chapter 9

REY JOHNSON

I've never been more nervous about a date in my life. The ones I had been on before were easy. And I always knew what to expect. 

_Man meets woman. Woman likes man. Man asks woman out. Woman accepts. First date over dinner and then maybe a movie. Is there chemistry? No--you say thanks and move on with your life. Yes---a second and third date. Is the chemistry still there? No---say your thanks again, move on. Yes---do you want to have sex? The answer should be yes, but if it isn't, then move the hell on with your life. Cut all losses. However, if the sex is out-of-this-world spectacular, then agree to continue going out. If the sex is nothing short of awful, say your goodbyes, and if required, change your phone number._

Normally, I didn't get past the first or second date. Call me picky, but if I was going to spend time with someone, they kind of needed to be worth it in the end. I would expect their opinion has to be the same. 

As I looked myself over in the mirror, my stomach flipped a number of different times at the prospect of sitting across from Charlie tonight. It was no secret that he slept around with other women. He'd never been known to have a girlfriend. So why was I so interested in this date? Well, because he was hot as hell, and if rumors from his past conquests were true, he was at least amazing in the sack. _So why not have a good time?_

"Because it's my fucking career," I mumbled to myself. 

With a sigh, I ran my hands down my black cocktail dress. It was sleeveless and fitted down my body. It definitely showed off my curves, which I absolutely loved. 

The hem reached just above my knees. I'd paired the outfit with my black sling-back peep-toe heels. An encrusted butterfly sat on the side of each shoe. They were beautiful and one of my favorite pairs to wear. I pulled my hair to the side and wrapped it into an elegant bun. I pulled a few loose strands around my face and then it with hairspray. The top of my dress was high cut, and the back crisscrossed with wide straps from the shoulders to my hips. The necklace I'd picked out had a silver statin chain with a black rose pedant outlined with small diamonds around the petals.

I had earrings that matched as well. I took a few steps back and inspected my outfit and accessories with satisfaction. I sighed and glanced down my body. I'd shaved earlier today, but it wasn't like I was going to drop my panties after dinner for a quick romp in his fancy limo. 

But if he seduced me and his hands were on my body....well, one might be willing to change their mind. With a shiver, I picked up my black and silver clutch and headed back to my kitchen.

My phone was lit, and when I picked it up, I saw I had a missed text message from Charlie waiting for me: _I can't wait to see you._

Of course, his text got me a little more than excited, so I had to reply back: _I'm currently waiting for the driver to get here. I'm looking forward to seeing you as well._

I stared down at my text for a long, hard moment. With a groan, I pressed SEND and waited. Why was I playing this silly stupid cat-and-mouse game with the man who held my career in the palm of his hands? Why had I written that stupid letter? Why did he have to find it? My phone chimed.

_See you soon, then._

I put my phone inside my clutch when a knock at my door sounded. I walked across the room and peeked out the peephole to see Charlie's driver, Wedge standing there. With a wide smile, I opened the door.

"Good evening, Miss Johnson," Wedge said.

"Good evening, Wedge."

The man was older, with a thin build and balding. He smiled and motioned for me to join him. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Yes, we shall," I returned and closed the door behind me and locked it. "Thank you so much for picking me up tonight."

"It's never a problem, Miss."

Moments later, we pulled up to the STAR-KILLER, a bar in downtown Manhattan. I had heard about this place and wanted to some here for some time. Excitement to experience this place, with Charlie's company, made tonight not feel so awkward. Wedge pulled up to the valet parking area. One of the attendants opened my door and offered me his hand. I took it and stepped out of the vehicle. I turned back to Wedge.

"Thank you again."

"You're more than welcome, Miss Johnson."

The attendant closed the door and walked me to the maître's. The man behind the podium looked up with a smile. "Good evening. Do you have a reservation with us tonight?"

I nodded. "Yes, under Charlie Barber," Saying his name fluttered the butterflies in my belly, and it brought a smile to my lips.

The maître's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded. "Yes, madam, right this way." He snapped his fingers, and another attendant quickly made his way over. "Please escort Miss Johnson to the private dining area where Mr. Barber awaits." 

"But I didn't even give you my name," I told him in a soft voice.

He slowly smiled. "No need. Mr. Barber alerted us of your arrival, madam. We are here and ready to serve your every need tonight."

My brows rose. "Wow, well, okay, then." 

I wasn't quite sure what to think of this type of treatment. I was lucky to get my order correct the first time at McDonald's or even somewhere fancier, like Chili's. However, tonight, these were drinks and dinner that I knew I couldn't afford. Water would be on my bill tonight. Assuming, of course, they didn't charge for tap. I was then led inside, and the bar ambiance was soft and the lights dim. The temperature was on the chilly side. Upon entry, a large planter of cactus greens greeted us. Behind it was an open atmosphere of tables filled with people talking and drinking. 

On the fat side of the room was the bar. It was filled with all sorts of alcohol, and the shelving looked like it was made of iron pipes. Each tabletop had a different arrangement, from pressure gauges to candelabra that had a steampunk feel to them.

"This way, please, Miss Johnson," the attendant said.

As I followed him through the bar, I noticed there were corners blocked off with red velvet ropes. Small, quaint tables were inside the roped-off areas, with two chairs on either side of the table and a love seat along the wall. 

"Wow," I whispered.

"Here we are," the attendant said as we came to a stop. 

We stood before a roped-off area that had closed red-velvet curtains. He pulled one of the curtains to the side, and sitting on the love seat was Charlie Barber. He stood immediately. His black hair had been perfectly styled, and he wore a black suit and matching tie. He sipped his drink and set the glass back down on the table. Taking a few steps to where I stood, he smiled. 

His beautiful white teeth, kissable berry-red lips, and his eyes---his gorgeous, caramel-brown eyes---stared directly into mine. I was so fucked. 

"Rey," Charlie said and offered me his hand.

I accepted it, and the velvet rope was opened for me to pass through and then closed off again. The curtain was also pulled back into place, blocking us from the crowd of people just feet from where we stood. His cologne invaded my nose, and I wanted to close my eyes and inhale deeply, memorize his scent. I knew tonight would only last so long, and if we never did this again, I wanted to remember this for as long as I possibly could.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

I quickly opened my eyes and met his stare. I nodded. "Yes, and if we're going to be completely open and honest with each other tonight, I'm a little nervous."

He chuckled and led me toward the love seat. "There's nothing for you to be nervous about."

I blinked, and then a laugh burst from me. "You're kidding me, right? You're _the_ Charlie Barber. You barely gave me a second glance before....well...just before. Yet now we're here having drinks at a high-class establishment I could not afford even on my best day. So yes, forgive me, but I'm a little nervous."

He grinned. "I worked very hard to get where I am today. I see the same exact persistence and perseverance in you. You're going to make an incredible attorney, Rey."

I smiled and lowered my gaze to the tale. "Thank you." I told him and meant it. With a sigh, I looked up at him again. "But can we talk about that letter?" 

He picked up his glass and took a sip. "What are you drinking tonight? It's on me."

"You can't just answer a question with a question, Charlie. It doesn't work like that."

"Well, I can. And...I just did." He chuckled. "Now seriously, what are you drinking?"

"A dirty martini, with extra olives."

He repeated my drink request to the bartender and then turned his attention back to me again. "So....that letter."

My stomach flipped again, and my heart sped up. I nodded. "Yes. Look, I was so drunk that night. I'm so sorry you had to see it."

"You mean drunk on _my_ Scotch," he added.

I felt my face heat up from blushing, and I nodded. "Yes, _your_ Scotch. I'll replace it soon, I promise."

"Don't even worry about that," he said and turned toward me on the chaise. "I didn't realie you felt the way you did about me. Why didn't you tell me before?"

Now I definitely knew my face was red because it was burning hot. I wanted to look away, get up and run, but I couldn't. I needed to face this, talk to him about why I wrote what I did...and maybe get us both past it and moving on to bigger and better things....like my career, for instance.

"You're a beautiful man, Charlie," I quickly told him. "I see the type of women who swoon over you. It's kind of hard not to be intimidated by your presence."

His brow rose. "Well, are you feeling intimidated by me right now?"

I shrugged my shoulder slightly. "Maybe."

He chuckled. "Let me tell you my story, Rey. There's a lot more to me than just this pretty face and the women you say who swoon over me."

I smiled and appreciated this moment. He wanted to let me in---at least on a part of himself, anyways and well, I couldn't argue with that. I'll take whatever little tidbits he was willing to give me.

"When I was a kid, twelve or maybe thirteen years old, my father was arrested for murder."

I widened my eyes. "Oh, my God!" I wasn't expecting to hear that at all....especially from _him._

"Obviously, he didn't do it. He was set up. Our family couldn't afford all the legal fees that came with a murder case, so he was appointed an attorney through the court system. He was awful. He was there for his buck, and it didn't matter to this man if my dad was innocent or not. The case was over pretty quickly. Dad pleaded not guilty, but the court didn't agree with that sentencing. He was found guilty and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. A few years later, though, he died in his cell. He was stabbed to death."

"Oh, Charlie," I whispered and reached for his hand. "I am...so... _.so_ sorry." 

He let me hold him as he continued with his story. "About two years later, new evidence came forward that would have released my father from any accusations. But since he was already dead, and there wasn't much they could do. The person whose DNA was found, though, was arrested for another murder. They had enough evidence to prove the man was guilty without using my father's case. A pardon was issued for my father. Although it was too late for my father, it cleared our family's name. Since that moment, I knew that I wanted to be a defense attorney. I wanted to be able to help those who were falsely accused of crimes. The innocent. It's been a tough road for me but one I would do over and over again."

My heart bled for this man. I wanted to hold him in my arms and tell him how I was sorry for his loss. He had to carry that on his shoulders, day in and day out. 

"I'm sure your father, wherever he is, is looking down on you right now, proud of the man you've become," I said.

"Maybe," he said. "Wow, that got heavy and dark pretty fast." He chuckled. "Tell me more about you."

I blinked a few times. "Well, I haven't live an exciting life myself, and I haven't experienced anything as you have. My life is pretty dull in comparison, I'm sure."

"Maybe I like dull. Go head. Spill." 

I smiled and nodded. "One of my best friends in our school lost her father. He was murdered. The man who did it was found and tried and then put away. When it was time his parole, he was denied. My friend slowly dell into a life of depression, drugs, and the prostitution. I tried so many times to intervene, but it never helped. Eventually, I had to walk away. It was the hardest thing that I ever had to do."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he told me.

"Thank you." I continued on. "Since I was a little girl, I wanted to be an attorney. I wanted to help those who severely needed it. Someone who felt like they didn't have a voice. I wanted to represent women who had been through hell and back and to protect their children."

"Because of what your friend went through?"

I nodded. "I saw darkness in this world I never wanted to experience for myself." My drink was then brought over, and I stared at the contents, with three green olives speared with a metal stick. I picked it up and took a sip. "Thank you," I offered to the server, who returned a nod.

"Is that why you decided to represent the defense instead of the prosecution?"

"No, not exactly. I read many cases similar to yours and wanted to help make a change. However, I also wanted to prosecute the dirt-bags responsible for the crimes they committed."

"Sounds to me like you're on the fence, then," Charlie said.

"I think I still am, in a way, but I want to help people who can't help themselves. And if that means representing them as a defense attorney, then that's what I'll do."

"Are your parents still alive?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. They're both in the Long Island area. I'm very close with my mom, but my heart belongs to my daddy."

He grinned. "That's great to hear. And I think that's what every girl says about their dad. My mom is still alive, but she's not in the best health."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Thanks," he said as he took a sip of his amber liquid. "She's in a nursing rehab home right now in New York, not to far from here, actually. She'd had dementia for a while."

I wanted to hug him again. This man had been through so much torment in his life. It wasn't fair. Yet, here he was with me, smiling and enjoying himself. 

"How do you do it?" I asked him.

He pressed his brows together. "How do I do what?"

"All of this? Run your own firm? Smile? Live? Breathe? Be out with me?" I felt I was rambling but didn't care. "You're like some kind of Superman, you know that?"

He chuckled at my response. "There comes a time when you to push everything you think you feel to the back burner and put your best foot forward. At some point, you have to put yourself first. If not, there's a chance you could hurt yourself in the process. Am I sad about my mother? Of course, I am, but there's nothing I can do for her other than to be there for her. The days she remembers me are the best days of my life. When I walk in and she screams because she has no fucking idea who I am, it kills me a little more every single fucking time. So, Rey, you have to do what is best for you and put your best foot forward and just live your life. You must choose to live. You have only one life, and it's up to you what you do with it."

I felt my eyes burn as they watered with tears. "I don't know what I would do if it were my mom or dad." I shook my head and swiped at my tears. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to cry." A white napkin was held in front of me. I smiled and took it. "Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome," he said and slid closer on the couch. "Rey?"

I sniffed and set the napkin down. I met his gaze and felt my lips part. He was close, so close. Too close. 

"I haven't told anyone that story, about mom, or my dad, in many, many years," he said. "What is it about you that is so different? Why do I trust you so much?"

I shook my head slowly. "I'm sure I don't know."

He leaned in a little more. We were alone in this booth. No one would come in, I'd be damned if we left.

"Charlie," I whispered, and a rush of breath pushed past my lips.

"I want to kiss you, Rey," he told me. "Please, just let me kiss you, Rey. I _want_ to....so fucking badly."

I licked my lips, and Charlie groaned in approval. I wanted to touch his face, his chest, his back, feel his skin against my own. But not here. He lifted his hand and cupped my cheek and then with the other, pushed a few strands of hair behind my ear. Cupping both sides of my face, Charlie leaned in and slanted his lips across mine. Instant fire and electricity shot through my entire body. It was as if I had been running idle and the touch of Charlie brought me back to life with a bolt. 

I placed my hands on his chest and move them up to his neck, holding on to him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, pressing his tongue against my lips, and I opened for him. His tongue sought out mine and teased it. 

I scooted closer to him. I wanted to straddle his lap, but I remained on the love seat instead. Charlie tilted my head and trailed his lips along my jawline to my ear. His breath was heavy in sensitive areas of my neck, and chills raced down my spine. A heat ignited between my legs, and I pressed my thighs together in an effort to extinguish it. God, I wanted him to touch me, taste me, be inside me, and claim me. 

I also knew we shouldn't do all of that here, in public either. He was a prestigious attorney, and what was in his hands was my career. Not my body. 

"Charlie," I whispered. "We need to stop."

"Fuck, I know we should," he said and nibbled on my ear, "but I can't seem to find the strength to stop." 

I gasped when he pulled me even closer. He moved his arms around my body and dug his fingers into my skin. I pressed my hands to his chest and put a small amount of space between us. We needed to stop right now before I went and did something I regretted. 

"We really need to stop," I whispered. "We're still in public."

With a low sigh, he groaned and pulled away. Charlie adjusting himself didn't go unnoticed by me. I smirked, enjoying the feeling that I'd done that to him. 

"I'm sorry," he said turning to look at me. "I want to see more of you, Rey. I want _all_ of it, of _you_." 

I felt a giddiness overpower me, and a giggle managed to make it's way out of my mouth at his words. I'm sure I looked more like a blood-red cheery on the top of a perfectly delicious sundae.

He chuckled. "Shall we....leave?" he asked and stood, offering me his hand.

I reached for it just as a female's voice interrupted our private moment. "Ma'am you cannot interrupt the party inside! You are not an invited guest! Ma'am, I must insist that you come with me at once or I'll be forced to call security!"

"I don't care if it's the goddamn President of the United States of America in there! Get the fuck out of my way!" 


	10. Chapter 10

CHARLIE BARBER

"Rey, sit down, please."

Rage bubbled to the surface, and I didn't want Rey getting hurt. Not that I would be swinging my arms, by any means, but this was not her fight. The curtains were yanked back, an in barged in Nicole, the faux _Monet._ From a distance, she was striking, beautiful, exotic. Her long blond hair was loose in curls and tumbled down her back. Her bright-blue eyes were wide with shock when she stared into mine. She looked at Rey and me and then crossed her arms over her chest. 

"Excuse me, but what the fuck is this?" she demanded.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Rey growled.

"What do you want, Nicole?" I asked.

She barged into my office yesterday morning, the last time I saw her---outside of court---was in her bedroom while she was getting fucked in the ass by my former best friend. 

"I heard that you were here, and well, I wanted to see you," she said.

There was the familiar whine in her voice she used to use with me. I'd found it cute when we first started dating, but eventually it grew to irritate me to death. She sounded like a fucking child.

"You're not welcomed back here," the bouncer told her.

"First of all, fuck off, I didn't ask you for your opinion," she said to the man and turned back to me. "And secondly, as I said, I'm here for you. But I can clearly see you're here fucking another one of your whores."

"Excuse me?" Rey said and stood up.

"We're done here, Nicole," I said and then turned to Rey. "Please, just ignore her, Rey. Come on, I'll take you home."

"You're not going anywhere with her," Nicole ordered. "You're coming with me. You belong with me."

With a sigh, I lifted a brow and stared into Rey's eyes. "Just give me a minute to take out the trash, okay?"

She grinned. "No, please, take your time. I still have my martini to drink."

I winked at her, and she giggled. How the hell did I get so lucking in finding this beautiful woman? Would just anyone have stood by my side while my ex talked trash? She was really quite remarkable. 

"I owe you one," I whispered. 

"Hmm, I'll take you up on that." She sat back down, lifted the lives from her drink, slid one off, and chewed it. She then lifted her gaze to mine and winked. _Sexy as hell._

"Come on, Charlie," Nicole ordered. "Now. Let's go."

I turned back to Nicole. "Do like my friend here said and get out. You're not welcomed here."

"Even after you fucked me the way you did? Oh, come on now, Charlie. We both know that we're made for each other. We're both bold and expect the same in someone else. I can handle you where no one else can." 

Her last words were directed straight to Rey. Rey, in response, ate another one of her olives and smiled. My God, this woman surprised me tonight. I had no idea she had this much moxie. Sexy as fuck was what that was. I sighed and placed my hands on my hips.

"You really need to leave, Nicole. Nothing will ever happen against between us. We're over, and you just need to accept that." 

Nicole gasped and stepped into the private room. She snatched Rey's drink form her and chucked it into my chest. "Fuck you, Charlie! Fuck you!" And then she turned and stormed out of the room.

The bouncer peeked in and shook his head. "Sir, I'm truly sorry. Everything will be comped and on the house tonight."

"I appreciate that," I told the man, "but please, it's not necessary." 

The man nodded. "Yes, sir."

I wiped at my jacket and then turned to Rey. As she stood, I gaped at her dress. The front was now wet from the backsplash of her drink. "Ahh, fucking hell, Rey. I'm sorry."

She just looked at me and laughed. "Why are you sorry? This is by far the best date that I've been on in a while. We opened up deep sounds, and I got to see the horrendous ex-girlfriend in her prime. I mean, she dumped my amazing martini on us, but to see you tell of off like that? That was quite the best part!"

I shook her head. "Where the hell have you been all my life? I think any other woman would have been completely turned off by the turn of events."

"Well," she said and stepped closer to me, slipping her hands over my chest and wet jacket. "I'm not any other woman, Charlie. I'm just me." 

I grinned and cupped her cheek. I swiped my thumb under her bottom lip and then leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "I'm very happy to hear about that."

~*****~

I hadn't anticipated bringing Rey back to my home tonight. The thought had certainly crossed my mind, but I didn't think it would happen. Yet, here we were. My driver pulled up my driveway and into my garage and then opened my door. I stepped out and then offered her my hand. She accepted it and stood by my side. I looked over my shoulder to my driver. He bowed his head, lowered the garage, and made his way out a side entrance. 

Once the garage door was closed, I turned back to Rey. "Are you nervous?"

"After that amazing show you performed tonight? Not at all."

I chuckled. "I'm really sorry that happened."

"So, who's Nicole, really?"

I took her hand and led her into my home. Lights turned on as we stepped inside and closed the door behind us. I shrugged off my suit jacket and tossed it over a chair.

"Let's just say she's my worst mistake," I unbuttoned my sleeves, and then began working on my dress shirt. 

"Um, Charlie?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Are you undressing in front of me?" She was blushing....horribly. 

I smirked and gave her a curt nod. "Absolutely. We're both soaked. Come on. I have a T-shirt and some boxers you can put on if you want?"

Her brows rose in surprise. "Am....well, am I staying here tonight or something?"

"Do you want to?"

She shrugged. "To be perfectly honest with you, I hadn't thought that far ahead, actually."

She'd said she wasn't nervous, but that changed as soon as we talked about changing clothes and the possibility of her staying the night with me. Damn, I wanted her in my bed. I want to wake her by settling between her legs and licking her delectable pussy. 

"I'll tell you what. You can change and I'll have my driver take you home. Sounds good?" 

My dick was hard and throbbed in my pants. I wanted to shower and take her with me. Push her up against the tile and fuck her until the morning run rose. 

She nodded. "That'll work."

"Okay, follow me." I led her toward my bedroom, which was more rustic than the kitchen.

"I really love your bed-frame, Charlie," Rey said.

I had a king-size bed with four light-pine columns that looked like smoothed trees. "I appreciate that. It's from some of the land my family owns. I had it made personally just for the bed."

She smiled, walked toward the bed a few paces, and the turned slowly around. If she kept on looking at me that way, i was going to keep her here and in my bed for three days just because I was in that kind of mood. Truth be told, I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to stay. I wanted her to stay with me and be with me as much as I wanted to be with her. 

"I want to shower and clean up. Care to join me?" I waggled my brows.

She laughed and then shook her head. "I really don't think that's such a great idea, Charlie."

"And why not?" I asked. "I mean, we're both covered in martini for Christ's sake. The very least I do could do is offer you the shower to clean yourself up."

"And would I be alone in said shower?"

I smirked sensually at her and stepped closer to her. I shook my head. "Not a fucking chance."

She pursed her lips together. "Now I _really_ don't think it's a good idea."

"I agree," I started and lowered myself to my knees on the floor. "I think it's a _great_ idea."

Rey grinned, and then a soft laugh left her. "You're incredible, you know that, Charlie Barber?" 

"So I've been told." I loved her laugh, and she had an amazing smile. I scooted closer and pressed my chest to her knees. I rested my arms on her thighs and folded my hands. "I did have a great time tonight, regardless of Nicole bursting in."

"Nicole who?" she said a wink. "I had a great time too. And Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

She paused before speaking and slipped her hand through my hair. I closed my eyes and titled my head into her caress and was startled a bit when she pressed her lips to my forehead. "Thank you for opening up to me."

I lifted my gaze to hers. "Thank you."

Rey then moved her legs apart and allowed me to move in closer. My chest was now pressed to her sweet spot, the entrance to her body, her pussy. My dick throbbed even harder being this close to her. She bent down and cupped my cheeks and then tilted my head up. She slanted her lips over mine and, sighing into my mouth, kissed me with a desperation I had never encountered. It was hard, passionate, and erotic. 

I stood and pulled her to her feet without breaking out kiss. I felt along her dress for a zipper but only shove my hands through the crisscrosses of the back of her dress. 

I growled into her mouth. "Where's the fucking zipper on this thing?"

She grinned against mine. "On my left side."

"Duly noted." I felt along the side of her dress until I found it. 

I pulled the zipper down and exposed her bare side. Rey's finger's began working the buttons of my shirt and shove it over my shoulders and down my arms. I pulled the dress free form her body, and it dropped to a pile of black on the floor. She stood before me in only black lace panties and her heels. I took a step back and admired the beauty before me. She was exotic yet graceful and elegant, and her nipples hardened to the chill in the air. 

Tonight, she was mine. All. Fucking. Mine. 


	11. Chapter 11

REY JOHNSON

I had waited all my life for something incredible to happen. I had no idea that moment would be right now in Charlie Barber's bedroom. While he was down to his undershirt, pants, and shoes, I stood there shivering from nerves and chill in only my panties and stilettos. I felt so exposed and folded my arms in front of my body. 

"What are you doing, Rey?" he asked. 

"I'm...I'm just embarrassed, is all," I whispered. 

"About what? You're a beautiful woman, Rey."

I looked at the floor and felt tears build in my eyes. "I have a belly pouch. My legs are thick. I have a big ass. My boobs are huge. I've seen the sort of women you take home with you, Charlie. I'm not like them." 

He pressed a finger to my chin and lifted my head. He looked into my eyes and smiled. It was sweet and filled my sincerity. 

"You're here with me right now because you are not them, Rey. Your stomach is perfect. Your legs are strong and sexy as hell. Your ass...damn, I want to bite it and get my fucking hands on it. I want to squeeze it while you ride my cock. And your tits? Shall I go on about how amazing your tits are?"

I sniffed and let out a small laugh. "Yeah, let's hear about my tits."

He grinned. "I would totally tittyfuck you in a heartbeat if you asked me too."

"Wow, you're such a sweet talker, aren't you?" I teased.

I knew exactly what he was doing, and it was working. But that tiny little voice inside my head still screamed at me to get my clothes on and get the fuck out of there. That Charlie was too good for me. That I didn't deserve someone like him. My eyes slowly drifted to the floor once more.

"What happened? Where did you go just now? Talk to me," he asked. "You are a sexy, voluptuously goddess, Rey. Any man would give anything to be with you." 

I laughed, then sniffed and wiped at my eyes, "Well, it's to hear you think that of me, Charlie."

"Look, I don't know what happened in your past with prior lovers, but you're here with me now. Don't let them invade your mind. It's you and me right now," He stepped closer and cupped my cheeks. "Just you....and me....just us and no one else." 

"Just us," I repeated his words. 

"Yes," he whispered and pressed his lips softly to mine. "Just us. Let yourself go, Rey. Let go and give yourself to me."

"I...I don't know how to let go, Charlie." 

My body tensed, and I wanted to run away. Not because I didn't want to do this with him but because his very presence rocked me to my core. I was in serious danger of losing myself to this man, and when I did, there would be no going back.

"You're still holding on, Rey. Let go," he whispered. "Let's just have tonight. Don't be afraid, I feel it too." 

"But what about tomorrow?"

"I'll have you tomorrow then as well." 

I giggled and looked into his eyes. Charlie smiled and rested his forehead against mine. "You're exquisite, Rey. I only wish you could see what I do." 

"What if we turned off the lights---"

"No," he said abruptly. "The lights will stay on. I want to look into your eyes when I claim you as mine. I want you to know how goddamned sexy you are. I want you, Rey Johnson." I felt a tear slip down my cheek. Charlie caught it and swiped it away. "I've got you, Rey. Now just let yourself go."

My heart sped in rapid beats and my legs shook. I wanted him more than I'd wanted anyone in my entire life. I needed to feel his lips on me, his body against mine, his length pushing inside me. 

"Charlie," I whispered and lifted my head. 

My lips met his, and I reached for him. Gripping his dark hair, I pulled him hard against me. He growled against my lips, slid his hands over my backside, and then gripped my ass with his massive palms, spreading my wide, just for him. My pussy ached for him.

"I need you, Charlie," I whispered against his mouth.

"Then let me have you," he said. 

"Take me, Charlie," I told him. "All of me." 

Charlie let go of my ass and began working on his pants. I grabbed his undershirt, pulled it off his body, and tossed it. His chest and abs were ripped, and I imagined running my tongue over the ripples of his muscles, like the waves of the ocean along his body. He pushed his pants and boxers to the floor and stood. His cock pressed against my belly. I reached between us and wrapped my hand around his length. He was thick and long, and the head of his cock had a bead of pre-cum. I wanted to lick it in desperation. 

"What are you doing to me, Rey?" he whispered. "I need inside you, woman."

"I want you," I whispered. "Please, Charlie."

He groaned as I stroked his cock. The dampness on the tip of his head aided as lubricant. "Shower. Now." he ordered.

I grinned and continued to stroke him from base to tip. "You feel so good in my hand, though."

"Oh, I'm almost positive I'm enjoying this way more than you are." I released him, and Charlie let out a frustrated sigh. "Let's go, woman. Before I explode all over you and my bedroom."

He walked over to his nightstand and opened the top drawer. I couldn't see what was inside, but he pulled out a condom and then closed the drawer. I laughed and followed him toward his bathroom. He had a large shower, big enough for at least four people.

It had multiple showerheads, side showers, and it was enclosed with a glass wall. There was a jetted tub on the opposite side of the bathroom and a large vanity between. Charlie pushed open the shower, stepped inside, and then turned the shower knobs. When he sprays started, he turned to me with a wicked grin. 

"Come on, beautiful." He placed the condom on one of the shelves in the shower. 

Were we actually about to do this? Were we going to cross the threshold of no return? Every part of me screamed _yes._ I would have to worry about tomorrow later. Tonight, it was about us and exploring our needs. 

I kicked off my shoes and pulled my panties down my body. When I stood, Charlie held his cock in his hands and slowly stroked it. I removed my hair from the bun it was in, and it tumbled over my left shoulder. He grinned and lifted a brow. He motioned with one finger to join him. I stepped into his shower and closed the door behind me. Steam enveloped me before the water even touched my skin. Charlie held his hand out for me, and I took it. He led me to where he stood and pulled me close, so close.

Our naked bodies touched, and water streamed over us. My hair grew wet and clung to my body. Charlie slid his hands down to my waist to my hips. 

He closed our eyes and pressed his forehead against mine. His lips were parted, and his breath rushed from them as his tongue darted out to wet his mouth. "Touch me, please," I whispered. 

His eyes opened and stared into mine. "I want to taste you."

I fisted my hands at my sides, and my body shook with need. I was afraid if he touched my clit, my breasts, anything. I would explode in a fiery inferno. "I need you," I said. 

Charlie lifted his hands to my breasts and cupped the heavy mounds before pressing them together, his fingers teasing my nipples. I closed my eyes, gasping. "Look at me, Rey," he said.

And I did. Our eyes met once more, and then he dipped down and flicked his tongue over my pebbled skin. He sucked one of my nipples into his mouth and teased the other with his fingers. He then moved to the other one and dropped one of this hands down between my legs. I moved my leg and balanced it on one of the lower shelves in the shower. He slipped his finger between the folds covering my clit and teased it. My whole body bucked.

He sucked on my nipple and moved his finger in a back and forth, fast, furious, hard and needy. My pussy clenched, and I tilted my head to the side. My leg holding my weight began to shake, but not from holding my self. It was from the oncoming Charlie was conjuring in my body. 

"Charlie!" I bit back a scream, and my body shook as the threat of an orgasm called.

"Let go, Rey," he told me and stood tall over me, looking down into my eyes. With his free hand, he fisted it into my wet locks and yanked my head to the side. "Let go and scream my name, Rey." 

He dove down to my neck and licked the sensitive flesh under my ear. He shoved his fingers into my pussy and moved them as if to say _come here._ He pressed his thumb to my clit and massaged it in rhythm with the finger-fucking he was giving to me. 

My whole body rocked against his hand, and with Charlie's mouth on my neck and hand in my hair, I was going to lose myself to him.

"Charlie!" 

"Yes! Give it to me, baby," he growled in my ear. "Cum on my hand. Give. It. To. Me." He enunciated each word as his fingers fucked me.

"Oh, shit! Charlie!" I screamed as I held on to his shoulders. 

My orgasm ripped through my body, thrashing like a burning wildfire, and only his body could quench the flames. 

"That's it, baby. Yes, give it to me." He moved his hand with manic precision and then pulled his fingers free from my pussy.

Just when I thought he was done, he surprised me by pinching my clit and rubbing the bundle of nerves between his fingers and thumb. Dear, God, I was going to die right here in Charlie Barber's shower---in his arms. If this was indeed, my death, I welcomed it wholeheartedly. 

"Charlie, yes, oh, my God!" I screamed as another orgasm struck me. 

He pinched harder and continued to slide his fingers with my clit in his fingertips. "You like that, baby?"

"Oh, God, yes!" My leg began to shake. I would fall soon if we didn't stop. 

Then Charlie slipped his free arm around my body. "Put your leg down, baby," he said and let go of my clit.

My body shook as I looked at him through the steam of the shower. His eyes were a darker shade of brown--almost black--than they'd been before. His hair was wet on his head, his chest was slick, and his cock hard. I desperately wanted him in my mouth.

"Let me suck you. Fuck my mouth, Charlie."

He grinned. "Soon, baby, soon. First, I want to fuck that pussy of yours." He then reached for the condom and ripped it open with his teeth. He set the wrapper back on the shelf and then rolled the rubber onto his hard cock. "Come here," he said and took my hands.

He held them above my head and gripped them with one hand. He grabbed one of my legs and wrapped it tightly around his waist. He pressed his cock against me, rubbing it against my clit. 

"Fuck me, please," I whispered. "I need you inside me."

He let go of my hands. "Just hold on to me, baby." 

I then placed my arms around his neck and held on as he lifted my other leg. Charlie pressed the head of his cock to my pussy and pushed. I gasped, the size of him invading my core, stretching me, filling me. He pulled back and pushed in once more.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

I nodded. "Oh, yes, and don't you dare hold back on me, Charlie Barber."

He grinned and captured my lips in a heated, desperate kiss. I was practically staving for him, and he was my sustenance, ready and willing to give everything he had to me. He pulled back and then pushed with a massive thrust. A scream erupted from me, and he did it again and again. Every push from Charlie drove me closer and closer to the edge of eruption. I'd had sex before and I'd enjoyed myself, but I'd _never_ had sex like this. Ever.

I had always been in control of myself, my body, my movements, everything about me. However, in this moment, I lost myself and was happy to give every bit of control over to Charlie. _Because, why fight it?_

"Yes, Charlie, yes," I groaned and then leaned into his neck and nibbled on his ear.

"Fucking hell, woman, what are you doing to me?" He grunted hard with another thrust, and it was the sexiest sound I'd ever heard. "Fuck, you feel so good, baby," he growled. "So fucking good, so fucking tight."

"Yes!" I screamed into the space of the shower.

The water continued to pour on our bodies as Charlie pushed harder, thrusting with a force that would soon shatter me. Ruin me for anyone else. 

"I'm going to cum, Charlie. Cum with me, please."

"Oh, don't you worry, I'm close, baby, so close. So fucking close." His pushing became faster, erotic and hot. He growled next to my ear. "Yes, baby, I'm cumming. Cum with me, Rey. Yes, now, baby, now!"

I screamed, my orgasm exploding through my body with an intensity I had no idea I could experience. My whole body shook, and my breaths came in rapid bouts of air. 

"Holy fuck," Charlie groaned and held me against the wall for another moment before he slid free. He helped me get back to my feet and slid off the condom. He laid it with the wrapper and then washed his body free from the residue. "Come here," he said. "Let me bathe you, baby."

I smiled, and my legs shook. "I don't know if I can." I laughed. "I can barely even stand." 

He chuckled and made his way over to me. "Then I'll help you. Come on." 

Charlie held me on to me and stood me under one of the showerheads. He lathered up some soap and moved it over my body. The suds rinsed down the drain, and I wondered where this would leave us in the morning.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Charlie asked.

I met his gaze and smiled. "Yes."

He grinned an adorable lopsided grin. "Good," he said and kissed me softly on the lips. "I want to wake up with you in my arms."

I pursed my lips together. Everything I thought about Charlie Barber appeared to be just that...an illusion. He bore his past about his father, stood by my side against his ex, and now, in his home, caressed me in suds. Charlie Barber was nothing as he appeared. And I didn't want to admit it out loud, I was falling madly in love with this side of him. 


	12. Chapter 12

CHARLIE BARBER

I yawned as the morning sun began its ascent over the land. Warmth enveloped my body, and when I opened my eyes, Rey Johnson lay in my arms. Her back pressed into my chest, my hips into her bottom. I knew by rhythm alone of her breaths she was still asleep. I smirked as last night's events played back in my head. If someone had told me I would wake up in the morning with a beautiful woman named Rey Johnson in my bed, I would have called out bullshit. Yet here we were, and I needed more of her.

Her hair splayed over the pillow and her face. Gently, I took hold of the locks that lay across her cheek and moved them to the side. Her lips were parted slightly. She was beautiful as she slept. 

My dick grew hard, and I pressed it against her ass. I reached over her body, hugged her to me, and grasped one of her breasts. The nipple responded immediately and grew taut against my palm. Rey stirred and pushed back against me. She wasn't quite awake yet, but slowly, she was pulling from her slumber.

I slid my hand down the length of her smooth skin, over her belly, down to her thighs. I pulled her top leg back slightly just enough to allow me to sink my fingers at the cleft of her pussy. I slide my finger over her clit and massaged it up and down, left and right, giving her a very generous good morning wake-up call. Rey's breathing hitched, and she moaned a soft whisper and then reached for me, finding my neck. She pulled me close to her, and I nibbled on her ear.

"I fucking want you," I whispered.

"You're doing just fine with my clit," she told me.

She repositioned herself to her back, then opened her legs wider for me to play. But I needed more. So much more. I slowly moved down the bed and pulled the sheets over my head. Rey lay naked before me, and I wanted to touch, kiss and lick every inch of her body. 

I feathered kisses from her waist to her hips. I felt her giggle, and I smiled happily to myself. 

"That tickles, Charlie," she said.

I then moved her leg closest to me around my body and then pushed her thighs open, far apart from one another. Rey was spread wide, just for me. She was an all-you-can-eat buffet, and damn if I wasn't hungry. I pushed the cleft of her pussy apart. She was wet and warm, her clit slightly red and swollen.

Giving her a tease, I slid my finger from the bud filled with thousands of nerve endings down to the entrance of her body. Her whole body shuddered, and a slight moan sounded from her.

"I want to hear my name on your lips," I quickly told her.

Before I gave her a chance to respond, I sucked her clit between my lips. I moved my hands under her hips and pulled myself closer to her. I wanted to bury my face against her body and taste every ounce of what she would give to me. Her hips moved against my face with each last of my tongue. She tasted like the familiar plum I've grown to anticipate, long for, and desire. She was an addiction I never knew that I needed until I tasted her for the very first time.

"You're going to make me cum if you keep doing that," she groaned as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"That's the idea," I said, smirking against her.

I sucked on her clit and hummed against her tender flesh. Her body bucked, and I held her firmly against my mouth. Her sweet honey spilled from her, and the taste of was nothing short of exquisite. The sweetest fruit, and I reveled in it. I needed more of her. I moved an arm out from under her and pushed two fingers into her pussy. Rey's body squirmed and her panting grew even louder. I sucked her harder and fucked her with my fingers. Harder, faster, more. More. More. I still needed more.

I pulled my fingers from her and licked her clean off my digits. As I slid inside, she gasped and tightened her grip on my hair. 

"No one has ever...." She trailed off as I worked my finger father inside.

"I promise it won't hurt." I pulled my finger back out slightly and then pushed it back into her ass.

Her body was tense, and she needed to relax. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt her. I sucked her clit back into my mouth as I moved my finger in and out of her hole. She opened her legs wider, and then chills air suddenly hit my body.

Rey pulled the covers from us, and she sat up on her elbows. She wanted to watch, and this hit me like overdrive. She wanted a show, and damn it if I didn't want to give her one. With my other hand, I fingered her pussy, and Rey was oh, so close to becoming unglued and that's just exactly how I wanted her to be whenever she was around me---undone.

"More, Charlie, more," she groaned and rolled her head back onto the pillow.

Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, and her nipples grew even harder while chills raced across her body. She was going to shatter very soon.

Rey was close to orgasm. She just needed a harder push. As I flicked her clit with my tongue, she began to cum on my fingers. I pushed and pulled my finger in her ass, and while doing so, I removed the ones inside her core. Rey needed one hard fuck, one moment, that one over-the-edge hit to send her flying. She'd never had sex in her ass, but after this morning, she would began for it. 

I sat up on my elbow and looked up to her, meeting her gaze. "See? I told you I want to hear my name on your lips."

"Yes," she groaned and bit her lip. "I never knew ass sex could feel like this."

"Oh, baby, this isn't even ass sex. This is only playing." 

She groaned again and opened her legs even wider for me. "Fuck me, Charlie. Please, fuck my ass."

I smirked and continued moving my fingers. "Be extra careful what you're asking and wishing for, babe. You're not quite ready for that yet, baby. But soon, I promise."

"I need to cum, please, Charlie."

I moved my finger in a circular motion in her tight hole, in and out, in and out. I moved it faster and harder. Rey gasped. Her legs shook and her hips bucked. Moving faster against her, I went from moving gently to pounding my hand against her ass. 

"Fuck yes, Charlie! Oh, hell, oh, my God!"

"Let go, baby. Just let go. I've got you!"

And she did. Rey shattered and arched her back. Honey creamed from her pussy and coated my hand. She was a goddess, and giving herself to me like this, it was exquisite. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever witnessed....and I still wanted more. I pulled my finger free from her and sat up and looked down at her.

"Good morning," I said with a sensual smirk.

She grinned and laid an arm over her face before giggling. "Good morning." She peeked at me from under her elbow. She had a mischievous smiled on her lips. "It's your turn now. I want to taste you. I want you to fuck my mouth."

My brows rose. "Well, I won't say no to that."

She sat up and leaned toward me. "I really could wake up every morning like this."

A pain in my chest erupted. I wasn't sure if it was the truth clamping down on my chest or guilt for knowing I may not be able to give her what she so desperately wanted. Because holy hell, I wanted her. Hell, I needed her. Why was it now that I realized it and not when she first started working as an intern in my firm? Was I really that shallow of a bastard? Yes, yes I was. Hello, Charlie. Meet your ego, you self-centered son of a bitch.

I pushed my self-haltered thoughts to the side and moved off the bed. I stood while Rey repositioned herself sideways across the mattress. Her head lay tilted over the edge of the bed, and her naked body was like a beautiful piece of art before me. She reached for me and grasped my thighs, pulling me close to her. My cock touched her lips, the pre-cum smearing across her mouth. She opened for me and pulled me even closer. How in the hell did this woman even exist? 

I didn't deserve her, did I? Fuck no, but I would work to earn her and right to call her mine. My dick slid inside her mouth, and when she closed her lips around my hard length, I groaned, pleasure rocketing down to my balls.

Reaching down to her neck, I cradled her heck and then began to push in and out, thrusting against her mouth. I felt the back of her throat and moved faster, more erratic. 

I closed my eyes, and for a moment, I forgot it was her mouth I was fucking and not her pussy. My balls tightened as my own orgasm was coming. "Fuck, Rey!"

She groaned around my cock, and the vibrations sent me over the edge. I came hard and hot, and she didn't hesitate to take it all. I grunted one final thrust. I pulled free from her mouth, and she rolled to her side. I pressed my palms into the mattress and glanced over to her. 

She sat up like the lady she was, and with the tip of her finger, she dabbed at the corners of her mouth. I chuckled and moved next to he as she stood. She ran her hands through her hair and then met my gaze. I held it for a moment, looking into the hazel eyes. There were specks of gold and white in her irises. Her lids were framed with long black lashes. Her lips were slightly swollen and beautiful.

"Come on and clean up with me," I said. 

She grinned with a nod. I took her head and quickly led the way. 

~*****~

I wasn't sure how long Rey and I were in the shower, but it was long enough that the hot water began to turn cold. Maybe it was time for a tankless heater. Never-ending hot water sounded perfect right about now. I stepped out first and towel-dried my body. I hung a towel over the glass shower door for Rey and watched her body through the fogged glass of my shower. She was so different from all the women I normally found myself with, and this was quite possibly why I was completely attracted to her.

Many wanted what they couldn't have, but once they had it, the want and needed slowly diminished. But this wasn't the case between me and her. I'd had Rey now, and it felt like I couldn't get enough of her.

She matched my personality in many aspects and was one of the few who would call me out on my shit. And I respected the hell-out-of her for that. 

Most women I took home clung to every word that I said, but they were only pretending to understand what I was talking about. I could have said the King of Pluto was coming to visit, and they would have believed me. There was never a connection on an intellectual or emotional level, and sex without emotion would never be more than just sex. Sex with Rey was more. 

I couldn't quite put my finger on it yet, but some heavy feelings were most certainly involved. I couldn't call it the L-word. Frankly, that worked freaked me the fuck out. The only woman I'd ever loved was my mother. I once thought I could have loved Nicole, but she had been more in love with my money and social status then me as a person. The shower was still running, so I left the bathroom to give Rey a few minutes to herself.

I was wrapping a bath towel around my waist when my doorbell rang. Who would be here this early? There was the annual charity event coming up soon, so maybe someone was bringing information by? I was supporter, after all. 

I quickly threw on some boxers and khakis and made my way to the front door. I peeked through the peephole to see who it was, but a manila envelope blocked my view. I gritted my teeth. 

With a sigh, I opened the door, and on the other side was Nicole. I gritted my teeth even harder. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She pushed past me and walked into my home. "I have the tickets for us to the charity event."

"You know that you're not welcomed here, Nicole. You need to leave."

I kept the door open and stood next to it. Was her name still on the list the guard shack had? I would need to update that immediately. Her eyes went from my face, down to my body, and then back up to met again. I felt completely exposed and I hated that feeling---except last night when I was with Rey.

"As I said, I have the tickets for us to attend," she said. "We are going together, Rey. Don't deny me this event. It's huge, and all the right people will be there."

"No, Nicole. I'm not going with you. You need to leave, now, before I call the police to have you escorted out. You're now trespassing." 

"Oh, come on, baby. You miss me. And I miss you. I still love you, Charlie." She made her way over to me and tried to push against the door to close it.

I kept my hand on it. "I said you need to leave. How many more times do I need to tell you I don't want you here?"

She then laid her hands on my bare chest and pushed up on her toes. "Admit it, Charlie, you miss my mouth on your dick, don't you?"

"Get the fuck out. Now!" I grabbed her by the arms and held her back. "Goodbye, Nicole." I moved her toward the door, and she wrangled out of my grip.

"Damn it, Charlie! Don't do this! You and I belong together! We're both eager to win all the cases that come our way. We're winners, you and me. We fight for what we want, and I'll fight for you until there's no fight fucking left in me!"

"And is that what you told, Poe too, huh?"

She growled. "Damn it, Charlie. Don't you see why I'm here? I accept you, flaws and all."

"What's going on here?"

Nicole and I both turned to find Rey stepping out of my bedroom. Rey's eyes widened when she saw me shirtless with Nicole's hands on my bare chest. I quickly moved out of Nicole's reach.

"Like I've said twice now you need to leave, Nicole. Now."

"Why is she here?" Nicole asked. "Are you fucking the help now?"

I grabbed her by the arm and led her toward the door. "How dare you," Rey yelled toward her. "You don't know me or why I'm here."

"Oh, don't I, though?" Nicole returned. "Oh, did Charlie ever tell you why he became a lawyer in the first place?"

"Nicole, don't," I warned her. "You need to go!"

"Yes, as a matter of fact he did," Rey said. "Now, I think he's asked you a few times already to leave. You should probably do it."

Nicole's eyes widened. "Well, did he tell you about his dirty little secret from high school?"

My heart fell into the pit of my stomach. I never wanted to relive that moment ever again. Telling Nicole about my past had to have been the worst mistake of my life. I had no idea she was going to hold it over my head like this. 

"What?" Rey asked. She looked over at me and then back to Nicole, holding her breath. 

"In high school, Charlie took some cute girl out on a date and ended up being accused of raping her. What do you think happened, Rey? Was he completely innocent, or did he abuse his power? You know, what with his pretty face, and all that money he has, nothing to lose while others around him might have everything to lose. Does any of this sound or feel awfully familiar to you now?"

I fisted my hands down by my sides. I didn't care of Nicole was a woman or not. I pushed her out of my home and slammed the door. With a sigh, I turned back to Rey. Her face was no longer the peaceful calm image of the woman that I woke up to this morning. No, now her face grew redder by the second. Her arms shook, and she closed her eyes. I took a few steps toward her. Before I reached her side, she held her hand up.

"No. Don't even bother." Her voice was low yet demanding, like a trainer working with her dog. And in this scenario, I was absolutely the dog.

"Rey, please, let me explain."

She opened her eyes and met my gaze. I felt a heat coming from her stare, and it wasn't neither welcoming or warm.

"I would never hurt anyone vulnerable, Rey. The girl dropped her case immediately, and my name was cleared. Nicole is right about only thing. This is what caused me to pursue a career in law but that's it."

Rey didn't say anything. She turned, went back into my bedroom, and closed the door behind her. I was locked out of my own bedroom in my _own_ house. This was not how I expected this day to turn out....at all. 


	13. Chapter 13

REY JOHNSON

I held on to the bedroom doorknob for a moment and closed my eyes. Numb...I was numb, but I felt my mind spiraling out of control. My stomach lurched, and I pressed my hand over my mouth. I ran as fast as my feet would carry me to the bathroom and heaved over the toilet. Nothing came up since I hadn't eaten or drunk anything, but it didn't stop me from trying. Everything came rushing in at once.

From the time I started work at Charlie's firm to the moment his ex walked out of his home, it all came crashing down. I was that woman. I'd fucked my boss. I'd fucked my motherfucking boss.

I dry heaved again. Once it passed, I pulled at the toilet paper and blew my nose. My body shook as I began to cry? _Who the fuck am I?_ This wasn't me. I would never make such a reckless mistake that it would cost me the career I had always dreamed of and was just starting build. If it weren't for his ex catching me....If it weren't for Charlie being so incredibly hot...if it weren't for me drinking that fucking Scotch that night. This was all my fault. I had no one to blame here but myself, really. My chest ached with the realization of what had just occurred, and I longed for the magic pill that would allow me to turn back time. 

"Rey?" Charlie was at the bedroom door.

"Go away, Charlie!"

Where would he go? I was at this house, after all, in his bathroom, attempting to lose myself inside his toilet. If my parents could have only seen me now, they would have been so disappointed in the person I'd become. "The heart wants what the heart wants" my mother once told me.

Her voice echoed in my mind over and over, like a broken record. 

"Rey, I'm going to come in," Charlie warned.

I tossed the toilet paper into the toilet and flushed it. I wiped at my eyes, removing the evidence of my tears. He didn't deserve to see the pain he'd caused on my face. He didn't deserve to see me at my worse. And for the first time since last night's events, I'd realized that Charlie Barber didn't deserve me. The bedroom door opened, and tentatively, he stepped through. His stance was stiff, like a man walking through a minefield in a war zone. I supposed, in a way, he was doing just that. 

"Are you all right?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, Charlie, I'm not all right." 

I left the bathroom and gathered up anything of mine that could be shoved into my purse. I needed to leave and get him out of my sight. My skin began to itch, and my heart raced.

"Look, I'm sorry about what Nicole---"

"No, you don't get to do that!" I yelled as I crossed the room to where he stood, finger pointed to his face.

He frowned. "Come again?"

"No, you don't get to do that," I started. Anger rose, and I felt the ammunition of it heart in my cheeks. "You don't get to tell me you're sorry about the ass-bag of an ex who just graced us with her presence. You don't get to feel sorry for yourself because we were caught fucking. You don't get to just sit here and pretend like I'm not your intern who just ruined her own career, Charlie."

"Whoa, I don't know what happened---"

"I'm not done talking!" I shook my head and began to pace in his bedroom. "The night I wrote you that note was the worst mistake I could have ever made! You are so fucking inconsiderate! Do you know that?!" I stopped pacing and looked him in the eyes. "Let's see if I can help you understand what I see, maybe give you some perspective. I worked my fucking ass off to get where I am! I shaved off a year of college doubling up my major! I built a strong reputation for myself, and look where that got me! It's ruined, Charlie! It's all been for nothing!"

"Rey, stop, please. Just let me talk."

"No," I stepped into his personal space. 

We were almost nose-to-nose, and his male scent invaded me. Hell, he smelled so good. I just wanted to devour him---angry sex to show him what he did that was so wrong. But it wasn't him, not all of it. Most of everything that happened was because of me. It was that truth that killed me, that hurt me the most, that would haunted me of the rest of my days.

"Sleeping with you was a mistake, Charlie. Giving myself to you was the worst thing I could have done. No one will ever take me seriously, and I guarantee you that whore-mouth ex of yours is probably calling everyone she knows right now to share that tidbit of news."

I turned away from Charlie to pick up my purse, but he grabbed my arm. He turned me back to face him and cupped my face. He stared into my eyes and passed his thumbs over my cheeks.

"Please, don't do this, Rey," he whispered. "Don't leave."

"It's already done," I pulled his hands away. "Don't follow me, Charlie."

I told him and turned away. I pulled my hair back and wiped at my face to remove any stray tears. I couldn't bring myself to look at Charlie before I left. I needed to get out of here, get some space between us, and figure out what my next steps would be. 

~*****~

I knocked on the wood-grained door and waited. The door pulled back, and the familiar face I needed to see smiled back at me. My trust, my safe space, my home, my mum. I tried hard to smile, but everything I had been holding in came rushing out in an onslaught of new tears. Sobs broke free, and I covered my face, ashamed of myself. 

"Rey?" my mum questioned and pushed open the screen door.

She pulled me into the safety of her arms. It was a place I loved to be, regardless of the circumstances. My mum's embrace would chase away even the nastiest demon and bring peace to anything that I felt. I already felt better just by letting myself cry on her shoulder. She ushered me inside and closed the door.

"Phil, put on some tear. Rey is here. We'll be a few minutes," my mum called to my dad.

"You got it, dear," my dad called back. "Welcome home, baby girl."

"Come on, love," Mum said and lead me toward the guest bedroom. "Let's get you all cleaned up. Now, tell me what happened."

Mum closed the toilet lid, and with another choked sob, I sat down on it. I looked up to her and found her concerned eyes watching me. She had mended me from scraped knees to my first broken heart. She had been there to support me through my decisions to go to law school and was always the voice of reason. My mother was my best friend, and I was scared to death that she would be disappointed in me when I told her what I'd done. And I couldn't lose her friendship. But I had to tell her.

"Mum." I started, and she lowered herself to her knees.

She took hold of my hands in hers and kissed my knuckles. "Talk to me, Rey. Let me help."

"I'm such a horrible person, mum," I started and then explained what had happened with Charlie, the note, and our tryst. When it was over, I looked into her eyes and was relieved to find concern, not disappointment. 

"Do you love him, Rey?" she asked. My bottom lip trembled, and then I nodded. "Oh, honey," she said and pulled me to her.

And with that, I held on to my mother and cried on her shoulder. "I think I ruined my career just as it was getting started."

"No, darling," she said and pulled back to look into my eyes. "You're just getting you feet wet. Don't worry about this. We all make mistakes in our careers."

"But that's just it, Mum. My hear is telling me it was all a mistake, but I'm just not sure that being with Charlie _was_ a mistake."

"How does he feel about all of this?"

I shrugged. "Well, I didn't exactly give him a chance to tell me before I ran out on him."

"So what's your plan, then? Will you stay at his firm?"

I shook my head. "No. There's no way that I can with this history between us now. I need to put in my notice and pray someone else will take me on." This brought me back to my concerns about Nicole. "I only hope that ex of his won't go blab her mouth all over town and make me look like the loose canon she suspects that I am."

"Being a loose canon isn't all so bad. A loose woman who gives a turn like a doorknob? Well, that's a totally different story."

"Mum!" I exclaimed.

"What? It's the bloody truth. But honey, you are not that woman. You are a strong, independent woman who goes after what she wans. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's a great quality to have."

"Even if said quality slept with my boss?"

"You said that you loved him. As I've always said, the heart wants what the heart wants."

I let go of a long sigh and stood. I took mum's hands and helped her to her feet and then embraced her. "Thank you, Mum," I whispered.

"You're welcome, dear."

We stood in the bathroom, hugging each other for a moment longer, and then I let her go. "I think I need some ice cream."

She smiled and brushed my hair behind my ears. "Chocolate or cookies and cream?"


	14. Chapter 14

CHARLIE BARBER

What the hell just happened? Had I fucked something up? I didn't quite understand why, but Rey was hell-bent on making me pay for something. She'd left abruptly and slammed the door in her wake. _Sleeping with you was a mistake._ The words echoed over and over in my mind. I sat on the edge of my bed, elbows on my thighs, and gripped the bridge of my nose. Sleeping with Rey was no fucking mistake. My chest ached. It was unfamiliar, and I wanted it to stop.

My stomach felt like I'd just eaten something foul, but there was nothing in it. Just an empty, black void.

"Like my fucking life," I muttered.

My phone chimed on my nightstand. Hopeful that it was Rey, I picked it up, disappointed to see it was a text message from my older brother, Benjamin. I slide my finger over the screen to read the message:

_Hey, bro! Congratulations on your latest win! Let's celebrate! Can you come by later today at the house? I'm cooking steaks in your honor._

While I wasn't exactly feeling in the mood for celebrating at the moment, I knew I would never hear the end of it unless I agree to meet up with him. So I began typing out my reply and once I got it--keeping it short and simple, I hit the SEND button and watched it disappear. 

_Sure, man, sounds good. Be there around noon._

But then I thought about it some more. It sounded really good, actually. I needed to get out of here, and spending some time with my brother would be exactly what I needed to get out of this funk, get out of my own head. I needed to think clearly about what to do with Rey. We hadn't been together long---hell, were we actually ever together?--but it was unlike anything that I'd ever experienced. She had this way about her.

She was a force to be reckoned with. No holding back, check-your-balls-at-the-door mentality. And I fucking loved it.

I never never one to be serous with women and was always in charge. The Alpha never the Omega. Even as siblings, growing up, Benjamin had stepped back and let me make all the calls. It was probably why he worked for another law firm. He wouldn't be able to stand by while I ran the show, getting all the glory. 

But it was never about the glory. It was about standing up for those who were innocent. 

~*****~

I brought the beer bottle to my li[s and took a pull. The ice-cold liquid went down smooth. It was exactly what I needed. It was summer in New York, which honestly meant nothing to me. It was hot and humid during the day, but at night it cooled down to a nice seventy-five degrees. The smell of steaks made my stomach growl in hunger. 

I hadn't eaten anything all morning and hadn't wanted to after Rey left. _Sleeping with you was a mistake._ Somehow, somewhere, I had fucked up. But how? What the hall had I done?

"Again, brother, congratulations on the Hux case," Benjamin said as he turned the steaks over on the grill.

"It was an open-and-shut case. The newest up-and-coming lawyer in my firm did the majority of the legwork. She was so amazing."

I thought back to the moment when I had walked in on her in my office passed out from Scotch, the love/hate note tucked under her arm. She was sinfully sexy, but it took that note about how she felt about me to open my eyes. I was such a damned fool. Benjamin put the grill fork down and turned to face me with brows raised. 

"What?" I asked.

"Do tell. What's her name?"

I chuffed and took another swig of my beer. "I've got no idea what you're talking about," I mumbled and quickly turned away from him.

Heels truck the concrete patio, and I looked up to my sister-in-law, Sarah. She met my gaze and smiled. She was always dressed up as if she were about to entertain at any given moment. Today she wore a pink sundress and matching heels. She was beautiful, with long chestnut brown hair, and I understood the attraction that my brother had for her. They'd met while he was in law school, and the two had been inseparable ever since. 

In a way, it made me jealous to see happy the two of them were. It made me long for such a thing myself with Rey. 

"Oh, did you finally meet someone, Charlie?" Sarah asked.

"No. Yes. It's....complicated," I said and took another drink. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"All right," she said as she brought over vegetables in aluminum foil to the grill. 

She handed them to Benjamin, kissed his cheek, and then headed back inside to tend to the salads. "Are you sure that there's nothing to talk about?" Benjamin asked once we were alone again.

I sighed and took a seat on one of the patio chairs. "Benjamin, how do you know when you're in love with someone?"

Benjamin chuckled as he tested the steaks and then out then vegetables on the grill. "You just know, bro. It's not really sign or something someone can tell you. And saying 'I love you' doesn't meant that you're in love. People used it so loosely nowadays. So tell me what happened." 

I shook my had. "Honestly, I have no idea where to even start."

"How about from the beginning? That's always the best place." Benjamin offered and closed the grill lid.

He came over and took a seat next to me. He sipped on his beer and sat quietly, patiently. Sitting and listening was what he always did best. We listened to our clients to learn and understand, and then we defended. It was our livelihood. And I excelled at it. But telling my brother what was going on through my head? 

I wrung my hands and felt my throat close up. "I feel like I can't even breathe. The world is closing in all around me. I can't even function without her. And I somehow managed to fuck things yo just as they were really getting started."

Benjamin lifted a hand over his mouth, and his body shook as he chuckled.

"What the actual fuck, man?" I asked accusingly. "Seriously? You're laughing at me now?"

"I'm sorry, bro, but you're Charlie Barber. You never ever let women get under skin like this. They get in your bed and then are on their merry little way. So tell me, how did this one get to you?"

I explained my walking in on her passed out and the note and everything that happened since then, including this morning with Nicole. "So there you have it, bro. I don't know what to do, how to act, or what I did to fuck it up."

"Well, for one, she met the dreaded ex. That's never a good way to start unless you and the ex are still good friends, and there's nothing at all, between the two of you."

"I can't fucking stand the air that Nicole breathes," I grumbled.

"Yeah, I can imagine. So she blew up at you this morning in your home when Nicole just helped herself inside?"

I nodded. "Yeah." Then I took a drink.

"And you two had just come of the shower?"

I nodded again. "What are you getting at here?"

"Well, think for a moment about how it looked to Nicole."

"I couldn't give a flying fuck what Nicole says or thinks."

"No, not that. Think about what Nicole saw. Rey is your new protégée. You two are freshly showered and in your home, early in the morning. Imagine how Nicole saw Rey in this scene. Her imagination probably ran wild with the scenarios inside of her head."

It then hit me like glass shattering on my skull. "Motherfucker," I groaned and closed my eyes.

"Yeah, you're welcome. You've got some major cleanup and groveling to do, little bro."

"How the hell did this even happen?"

Hell, I knew how it happened. Fucking Nicole was how. She saw us together and would run wild with the news to anyone who would listening and who had a pen and paper on immediate standby---never a good idea when Nicole is involved. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

"You stuck your dick in her?" Benjamin asked.

I frowned. "Fuck off, Ben." I rubbed at my forehead. "How do I save someone's reputation before its even been created?"

"It's what we do, brother. Make a case for her, and go in like a knife on his horse." 

I chuckled. "You haven't met, Rey. She would kick my ass if I rode in like that. Trust me, she's the princess in the tower, but she's also got the sword and she'd slay any dragon who tried to keep her locked away against her will."

"Even better," he said and finished his beer. "So let me get the steaks and veggies off. We'll eat, and I'm sure Sarah can help you make an action plan on how to grovel most effectively. I've had plenty of experience doing it myself." 

I chuckled and stood with my brother. We didn't see eye-to-eye on many things, but I loved him regardless. He was there for me when I needed someone, and I could only hope to return the favor one day. 

"So assuming that this works out in your favor," Benjamin started, "I'll begin planning the bachelor party. _The_ big, bad, I-don't-have-time-for-relationships Charlie Barber is smitten. Who would have ever thought? You? Of all people? In love?"

I slowly grinned. I was so taken by this woman and practically loved everything about it. I needed Rey Johnson in my life. Even if it meant gettin down on my hands and knees and begging her for mercy, I would do it. I was in love for the first time in my life, and it scared the hell out of me. As a person who usually controlled everything in his life, I had absolutely no control whatsoever over this. It was exhilarating yet so damn exhausting. 

"How do you do it?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?" Benjamin returned.

"Fall in love. Stay in love. Remain in love with one person for the rest of your life? How do you do it?"

"Very carefully and one day at a time. You'll go through hell and back for them, Charlie. They will be your rock, and you'll be theirs. You'll see the best and worst of this person, and they'll know yiu better than you know yourself. And one day, you'll wake up and realize, you don't even want to remember the life you had before they came into it, and you'll never want to experience life without them again afterwards."

"I've never wanted that for myself." 

"And now?" he asked.

I slowly met his gaze and rubbed the back of my neck, realizing he was right. "I can't fucking lose her, man." 

"Well, then, you big dummy, don't let her get away. You have the charity ball coming up, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's soon. I wanted Rey to go with me."

"Did she agree to go?"

"I don't really think I ever got around to asking her. I just said, 'she's going with me' to Nicole to shut her up." 

"Don't ever assume a woman will do what you tell her, bro," Benjamin said.

I heard Sarah laugh behind me. I turned to find her watching us, a smug look on her face. "Ans how long have you been standing there," I asked.

She shrugged. "Long enough to realize Charlie Barber actually isn't a man-whore and actually has a soul."

I chuckled. "Wow, I love you too, sis."

Sarah was a good person. I wasn't too crazy about her at first. If no one was good enough for me, the same rule applied to when it came to my brother. But she'd ignored me and pursued Benjamin. And now, I was so glad that she did. She'd been an incredible addition to our crazy family. 

"Just tell her how you really feel. If you really do love her, tell her, Charlie. And don't be above groveling."

"Oh, trust me, there will be groveling involved," I said with a chuckle. "Just how much groveling is involved, I'm not sure just yet."

"You'll need to bring your A-game, brother," she said. "You'll need to give her enough to listen to your reason for begging for forgiveness. And even then, give her more. Let her know you fucked up, and I mean that, bro, and beg her to tell you how to fix it." She looked over to Benjamin and then continued. "I don't like having to tell Ben when he fucked up or how to fix it, but in time, he figures it out." She then returned her attention to me. "Let her be her own person. And don't ever try to control her."

I shook my head. "That will never happen. There's no way I could ever control her even if I tried! She's one of the strongest women I've ever met! I just wish I had seen sooner what I see now."

"You wouldn't have been ready," she told me.

The conversation I had with Rey came back to the surface. "Funny, Rey told me the same thing."

"Smart girl," Sarah with a wink. "I already like her."

Benjamin handed me a plate with a steak on it. "Come get some vegetables. You're going to need you energy."

I nodded and accepted the plate. The steak smelled amazing. I knew I would need to get my A-game on to slay the theoretical dragon keeping her in the theoretical power. The thing was, the tower was of her own making. I needed to get through to her before I lost her forever.

I had a fight on my hands for the love of my life. But I hadn't lost a case yet, and I wasn't about to start now. 


	15. Chapter 15

REY JOHNSON

Wearing my old college T-shirt and pajama shorts, I sat on my couch and took another spoonful of my cookies and cream ice cream. My apartment was small, but it was mine. My feet were tucked under me, and the socks I wore were somewhere between half on and half off. I was watching the latest baking reality show, and everyone was competing to make the best cake. They were all being timed, and honestly, the pressure would be too much for me. Two hours to design and bake a cake? It took hours to prepare wedding cakes, sometimes days.

Yet these people were expected to complete a masterpiece in two hours. I shoved another scoop of ice cream into my mouth and sighed in contentment. I hated everything about today.

My stupid heart was braking, and my career was most likely over before it even started, thanks to me putting out and that fucking whore, Nicole, walking in on us. Who the hell did she think she was, just walking into someone's home like that? Was there still something between her and Charlie?

Who the fuck cared, anyway? He and I were over. It's not like we were actually together to begin with, but I liked him. A lot. It should take weeks, if not months, to fall in love with someone, but with Charlie, it felt like we had skipped past everything practical and jetted right into falling in love with each other. And I hated myself for it. Why had I gotten drunk on this Scotch and written that stupid note? 

"Ugh." I groaned and took another bite. 

"One hours left, bakers," the host announced on the TV program. 

One of the woman was about to lose her shit, and she began to cry. Her cake was falling apart, the icing wasn't staying on, and she looked like she was about to throw in the towel and walk away. I could easily relate to this baker in a very serious level. When a knock at my door sounded, I didn't want to answer it. I didn't want to see Charlie. Hell, I didn't want to see anyone. The person knocked again.

"Delivery for a Miss Rey Anson....um, Johnson?" called the delivery man as he tried to pronounce my name. 

I groaned and out my ice cream bowl down. "Johnson, like _son,_ " I announced when I answered the door. "It's not hard." I looked at the delivery man, who held a large white box under his arm. I frowned. "What the hell is this?"

"No idea. I'm only delivering it, ma'am." He held out a clipboard for me to sign. 

I scribbled my name on it and looked to see who it came from, but there was no return address information labeled on the front. My heart immediately began to race... _.who the hell could have sent me something?_

"Can you tell me who sent it?"

"Nope," the guy said and laid the box on its side and then turned to leave. He couldn't be older than twenty-one years of age. 

"How about a lesson in manners?"

"Yes, ma'am," the guy said as he took off.

I bent down and picked up the box. It wasn't heavy. I closed the door behind me and brought it into my small kitchen table. I pulled a chair out and took a seat. Staring down at the box I had a sinking suspicions it came from Charlie. No, surely, not....

"He would never do something like this....would he?"

I scooted out of my chair and looked around my quaint kitchen. I'd decorated it with flying pigs. I loved the idiom _when pigs fly._ I grabbed a set of scissors, went back over to the box, and slid the sharp edge under the table. I sat the scissors down and then slide the box open. I looked down on black tissue paper. It had a silver label over the middle that read _Gucci._ I chewed on my bottom lip. Gucci? I'd never owned anything Gucci and definitely couldn't afford it. 

I bought anything designer off the Poshmark application on my phone. Since discovering this little piece of heaven, I've been able to buy shoes and handbags from major designers at a fraction of why that'd cost in a store. 

With a tentative finger; I broke Gucci seal and pulled the tissue paper apart. Inside was a folded dark-crimson red dress made of satin and tulle. I slowly lifted it from the box and found it had one shoulder. The other was bare. It had a line of rosses adorning the one shoulder and a zipper along the side of the dress. It was fitted on top and flowed out from the waistline.

It was absolutely stunning---and probably the most expensive piece of material I had ever held in my hands. And that included the title to my car. 

I laid it back in the box and noticed a note in an envelope and a black shoebox, again labeled Gucci. Inside was a pair of black peep-toe stilettos that slipped on and had a diamond bow-tie over the outer side of each shoe. They were gorgeous, and I was scared to wear them for fear of getting them dirty. I laid the box to the shoes back down and picked up the note. I didn't see a name or anything inscribed on the outside. I opened it and pulled out a small slip of paper. I recognized the handwriting immediately. 

_Please forgive me. I'm an idiot and a tool. I'm so sorry, Rey._

_Yours always,_

_Charlie_

My eyes burned with tears, and I let the car drop, fluttering down until it landed on top of the dress. I dropped into the chair and closed my eyes. A tear slipped down my cheek. 

"Why the fuck did he do this?" I sat back in the chair and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Why? For fuck's sake, let me be mad for at least a fucking minute!"

I pushed the box away as if pushing away an empty plate. It wasn't full---in fact, I was starved for more of Charlie---but right now there was no way in hell I could stomach the mere presence of him. I heard my phone chime the announcement of an email.

"That motherfucker better not have emailed me, too," I said and stood from my chair.

I went into my bedroom and turned on the light. My room was about the size of my living room and held a queen-size bed, my dresser, and a desk. My legal books were stacked on end like a set of encyclopedias, and in front of them was my laptop. When my email loaded, my breath left my lungs. It was from the bar exam. My results were finally in. This was it. Had I passed or failed?

My hands shook as I moved the mouse and clicked on the email. I saw my name, along with _Click Here To Get Your Results,_ followed by the electronic signature from the dean of the school.

I bit on my lower lip, closed my eyes, and licked the link. What if I'd failed? Would I be able to take the exam again? Probably, but the fact that I'd failed the first time would follow me everywhere I went. How would I explain this? _Sure, I'll represent you, and oh, yeah, I failed the bar exam the first time around._ But what if I'd passed? I couldn't wait any longer. I opened my eyes and read the results.

_NEW YORK CITY EXAMINATION RESULTS_

_Dear, Miss Rey Johnson:_

_Congratulations on passing the New York Bar Exam! We have certified you to the Supreme Court of New York as eligible for licensure as New York attorney...._

I gasped and stood from my chair so quickly, it toppled over and hit the hardwood floor with a bang. I covered my mouth and bounced on my toes with a squeal. _I passed! I can't believe I fucking passed!_

"Fuck yeah! I need to call Mum!" I ran out of my room and grabbed my phone. I selected her speed dial button and brought the phone up to my ear.

"Hey, darling," she answered.

"Mum!" I exclaimed.

"Darling, what's wrong?" she questioned immediately, fear in her tone. "Are you all right? Where are you?"

"Mum, I'm fine. Hell, I'm more than fine! Mum, oh, my God," I squealed. "I passed the bar!"

"That's amazing! I knew you could do it! Honey," mum called out to my father. "she passed the bar exam!"

"That's great, baby girl! I always knew that you would," I heard my dad call out. 

I literally couldn't stop smiling. The pain I felt earlier from Charlie was still there, but it was pushed to the back of my mind while the news of my bar result took full prominence. 

"So, what are your plans, then?" Mum asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, do you plan to stay with Charlie, or are you going to go to another firm? Do you want to keep the defense or maybe become the district attorney someday?"

I had thought I wanted to be the DA for the first part of my college career and then thought better of it. I instead wanted to help those who couldn't help themselves. I wanted to be the voice for those who didn't have one.

"I don't know yet," I said, and it was the truth. "I don't know if I want to stay a defense attorney or go work for the county. I thought I knew, but now?"

"But what about Charlie?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "What about him?"

"Honey, you need to decide what you want. His feelings are at stake, too."

"And speaking of, you want to know what that asshole did?"

"Language, honey," my mum said.

"Sorry," I said under my breath. "He sent me an evening gown, Mum. Who does something like that?"

"A man who loves his woman, that's who," she said. "Your dad never did anything like that for me."

"Never did anything like what?" I heard Dad call.

It made me giggle under my breath. Now, Mum would hold Dad to the highest standard of delivering her a dress, or flowers, or something or anything for that matter. 

"When's the last time you ever sent me something?" she asked him. 

"Um....is this like the _does this make my butt look big question?"_

I laughed into the phone. "Leave Daddy alone," I stepped out of my room and looked across the way to the kitchen where the dress sat in the box, along with his note. "So, what do I do, mum?"

"What do you want to do?" she asked.

"I want to feel like a pretty princess going to the ball. I also want to find my Prince Charing and then kick him square in the bloody balls, too."

My mum just laughed. "Well, that's not quite what I expected to hear, but give him hell, honey. Make him work for that apology." 

"That's assuming that I'll ever forgive him."

"If you're seriously considering on going, the forgiveness has already started."

My mum did have a point. I could wear the dress and not be his date though, right? No, that would be bad form. And not to mention, rude. Basically, I would be Charlie and I'm not certainly _not_ Charlie. I sighed and sat back in the desk chair.

"How does he manage to take my breath away when he's not even here?" I asked. 

"Because, my dear, you're in love." 

"No, I'm not," I argued. "Love wouldn't put you in a position for all to see you're sleeping with your boss."

My mum sighed into the phone. "Honey, did you ever consider that he had no idea that the other woman was coming by? Do you really think that it was his intention to sabotage you?"

I shook my head, but it wasn't like she could see me anyway. "No, Mum, I don't"

"Then maybe you should try to cut him some slack."

"I'm your daughter, remember? You're supposed to be on _my_ side, and I don't cut anyone slack."

"Yes." She chuckled. "I remember." 

"Thanks for sharing my news about the bar, Mum."

"You're welcome, dear. Now, go give the man hell. You deserve the very best, darling. Don't ever deny yourself that!"

"I love you, Mum."

"I love you, too."

We hung up, and I went back over to the dress. I picked it up and held it in my fingers as if I were holding something horrid in my hands. It was almost as if I were scared the dress would burn or scar me. Not that it would, but I couldn't help myself. I went back to my room with the dress in hand and opened my closet door. A full-length mirror was on the inside. I stood in front of it and held my breath.

The dress was absolutely stunning. It had lines of sequins that ran from the top of the waist to the bottom of the dress. I'd missed that when I first looked at it. Maybe it was the light in the room that picked it up, but whatever it was, the dress was beautiful. And it was Gucci. Between the shoes and the dress, this had to put Charlie back quite a bit. For a charity. Almost contradictory to the entire purpose of the gala, but all proceeds went to the charity. So there was that. Tomorrow was Monday, and I had to report to the office. The ball was next weekend. Would I still go with Charlie?

Right now, honestly, I wasn't sure, but I did want to be there, to show my face, to prove to Nicole she was the total piece of shit she was. 

No amount of _I caught you fucking your boss_ would keep me down. Hell to the fucking no! I also needed to decide what I wanted to do with my future. Did I want to remain at his office and continued to see him day in and day out?

Or did I want to move to a new office and start over? A clean slate. As much as I wanted to remain with his firm, it was a better solution to go with the latter. I knew the decision that I needed to make. I then hung the dress in my closet and stared at it for a long moment.

"You're so beautiful, but I can't," I whispered with a sad smile.

I touched it once more and then closed the closet door. Back at my computer, I opened a new Word file and began the next note that I would hand Charlie Barber.

_Dear, Mr. Barber:_

_Consider this my resignation and two weeks notice._


	16. Chapter 16

CHARLIE BARBER

It was a quarter to seven in the morning, with a humid breeze. If I weren't drenched in sweat, it wouldn't be so bad. Making my way up the elevator, my plan was to shower, get dressed, and be ready to take on the fight of my career: Rey. When the elevator came to a stop and opened, however, the office lights were already one. Someone was present and accounted for. My stomach dropped, and nerves spoked in my chest with the pain of pure adrenaline. 

I took the few steps toward the front door and gave it a tug. The receptionist wasn't there, but in the distance, I heard typing. I followed the sound, and when I turned the corner, she was there.

With a deep breath, I approached, unnerved....or the best that I could muster for the time being. My gym towel was still around my neck, sitting atop my fitted tank and loose shorts. She had her hair pulled into a messy bun, the auburn tendrils hanging loosely around her neckline. A white blouse was pulled almost taut to her body and paired with a black skirt. A few more steps and I would pass her on the way to my office, my salvation. 

"Mr. Barber," Rey called just as I stepped by her desk. 

I paused and slowly turned to face her. "No one else is here yet. Are we really going to do this?"

"Oh, like how you were just going to pass me toward you office as if I didn't exist?"

I raised a brow and crossed my arms over my chest. I noticed her eyes quickly move from mine to my chest and and back. If I'd blinked, I would have surely missed it. Curious, I took a step toward her desk.

"Why are you here so early?"

She stood and fisted her hands down by her side. "None of your business." 

She didn't even try to hide the fact that she was definitely giving me the once-over. If we hadn't had our falling out, I would have invited her back to my office for "coffee" and to discuss what her duties would be today. A blowjob. Sex. and then some more sex. But right now, I needed to keep my pants on.

Rey turned away from me and head toward the front of the office, and I couldn't help but watch her ass every step of the way. When she reached the printer she side-glanced at me. I cleared my throat and headed toward my office. Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against it. We were the only ones here and only a few feet separated us; however, it felt more like a thousand miles. Her heels struck the tile as she made her way back to her desk. I peeked out the blinds in my office in time to see Rey take a seat at her desk.

My chest tightened, and my stomach churned in knots. I needed a shower. If I didn't watch myself, I would end up hugging the porcelain throne. 

~*****~

I worked my tie into a Windsor knot and set it with my diamond pin. I combed my hair and styled it with a little gel and then washed my hands. The day was still young--in fact, when I looked at the clock, it was still only eight a.m.---but there was simply too much to do. New cases. Message the Hux family. Discuss a countersuit against Kaydel Co-Connix.

Order in lunch for my staff. I usually did this whenever we won a case. Grovel at Rey's feet. I took a seat at my desk and opened up my email.

There were a few new cases that had been brought to my firm that I needed to review. If they were potential clients, meetings would be set up, and that would include Rey's presence. How the fuck would I meet with clients when the woman I was falling madly in love with sat next to me or across the table? With a groan, I opened the first file and began to read, when a knock sounded at my door. 

"Come in," I announced, and when I looked up, it was Rey. 

My heart sped and I jumped quickly to my feet, clenching and releasing my jaw a few times. Was she here to talk about us? I had no earthly idea. 

"Rey?" I asked and came from around my desk.

She then held out a piece of paper in her hands. She closed the door behind her and lowered her gaze to the floor. What the hell was she doing?

"Mr. Barber, we need to have a talk."

"Don't fucking do that," I said and took a few steps toward her. "After everything that we've been through--"

"I passed my bar exam." 

"I'm very happy for you, Rey! You must be extremely proud of yourself, I know I am."

She bit down on her bottom lip and dug her left toe into the floor. There was no reason for her to come in here and announce this unless we were all good, right? I just wanted to pull her into hug. Maybe even spin her around a few good times. But I was getting the sense that we were not that couple anymore and the hugging would not be happening.

"Rey? What is it?"

She sighed and raised her eyes to meet mine. "I'm putting in my notice."

It felt like someone opened a wind tunnel, and the air hit my chest with such force, it nearly knocked me flat back on on my ass. "What?"

She crossed the room to where I stood, and with each step, the air grew thinner and thinner. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. Had I even heard her correctly? Rey reached out her hand that held the piece of paper she'd come in with. I couldn't take it. This was not happening. Not here. Not now.

"Mr. Barber, I'm putting in my two week's notice," she repeated.

"No," I whispered. 

My chest wanted to cave in and explode in a fury of rage, but I stood only in silence. She sighed and walked round me. I watched her move as she passed by and laid the piece of paper down on my desk. She then turned to leave, so I did the only desperate thing I could do and reach for her and grabbed a hold of her arm.

"Let me go, Charlie," she said in a soft voice. "Don't do this to me."

"Don't do what to you?" I asked. "Let you walk out of this room, out of my life just as I'm beginning to live for once?"

"This isn't about you," she said and turned to face me. "You always make it about you! Can you, just for once, see things from my point of view?"

"I'm trying, but you need to give me some time. Patience, please, Rey." 

"Patience for what, Charlie? So you can get your dick sucked anytime you want from me? No, Charlie. That's not the sort of career I signed up for when I agreed to protect and enforce the law. I'm leaving so that I can start my career on a good note in an office that has no idea who I am. And I'll need you to give me a good letter of recommendation. It's the very least you could do after making it plainly obvious to your ex that I'd had sex with you--my boss."

I let her arm go. Her words stung like a wasp. No, like a hot sword slicing through my frozen heart. I needed her in my life, and I couldn't let her walk out of that door. I had two weeks.

Two weeks was enough to make a huge impact. It would allow me the time to show her that I was more than a womanizing man-whore who used and left women at the curb. How the hell I would do this, I didn't know. 

"Please," I started and took a few steps toward her. "Don't leave me. Not like this."

"Why the hell do you even need me here?" she asked. Silence filled the empty space between us. "Is it for your next case? Fine. I'll help you while I can, but once my time is up, I'm gone." 

She turned toward the door. The air was being sucked from my lungs again. I wanted to drop to my knees and beg her not to go. I'd never been one to beg. Hell, I'd never had to. Anything and everything I'd ever wanted was always given to me freely. And that was my damn problem. I was losing something I could not have.

"Rey," I called out once more as she reached for the door. She paused but didn't look my way. "Did you get dress I sent?

I was hoping, praying, this would make her turn around to look at me. Even if it were anger at the gesture of sending her a garment and shoes, I would take it just to keep her here for a moment longer. Who the hell had I become? Was this what Ben was talking about with love? I hated this feeling more than anything in the world, but in the same breath, I couldn't have a life without Rey being a part of it. She turned on her heel and faced me full-on.

"Yes, I did. And the shoes." 

I smiled, and it felt like I had won a small battle of this war between us. "I'm so glad."

"It doesn't mean that I'm going to wear it to the ball, though," she added. "I don't even know if I'm still going."

And like that, my battle was lost...except for the small hole in her story. _I don't even know if I'm still going._ I could work with that. I could hold on to that piece of material and make it work in my favor still.

"Then I'll send Wedge by to pick you up."

"Are you deaf? I just said I don't even know if I'm still going," she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I understand that, but if there's a chance that you still may want to go, Wedge will be there to bring you."

I sucked in air and took a chance. I crossed the room to where she stood. I looked down into her eyes and reached toward her. She shook her head and took a step back away from me---that hurt. Fuck, that hurt.

"Please, don't do that."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because if you do, I may not be able to stop myself," she whispered.

Hope rose, and I took it full force with a step forward into her personal space. "Rey," I whispered. "I need you in my life."

"Charlie, stop, please," she said, and dampness glistened in her eyes.

"Why? I want you, Rey. I do! I need you with me. I just never knew how much until I no longer had you. Please, I'm begging you, don't go."

And I meant every word of it. I wanted to pull her to me, hold her body against mine, kiss every inch of her, and make love to her until we could no longer move. But that clearly, wasn't going to happen---at least, not right now. She was hurt. I was hurt. And we needed to mend our broken hearts together.

"Because I need someone to support me, respect me, and keep people like Nicole out of my business," Rey said. "Because of what she witnessed, she could ruin any chance I have at this career. How do you not see that?" 

"I know it because she's a fucking tramp and no one takes anything she says seriously."

Anger rose in my words, but not towards Rey. The rage was all for Nicole an what she did to me---and was now doing to the woman I loved. I hated her and the time I would never get back that was spent with her. How the hell did I ever think I could love such a demon of a woman?

"And you fucked her, just liked you fucked me. So how does that make me look in your colleagues eyes?"

"I could give a flying fuck what they think." I said, my voice raised. "You. Are. Not. Nicole, Rey!"

"Well thank the fucking lord for that!"

Rey then sidestepped me and headed toward my door. I couldn't let her leave. Not now. We were finally getting somewhere, and damn it, she was mine. I immediately reached for her once more, and with a hard pull, I yanked her back to me. Her body slammed into mine, and I pushed her up against the nearest wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Charlie?" she yelled.

"Everything and nothing! Right now, tell me what you want, Rey. Tell me that you want me and want this thing between us to work out. Tell me that you want it as much as I do. Tell me that I'm not the crazy one in thinking that you're quite possibly my soulmate. Tell me, please...for the love of all things holy, woman, tell me!"

She stared into my eyes for a moment and didn't say anything. I was all but confessing my love for her without even saying the three words she wanted to hear the most. And the asshole that I was, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't say it. Even if those three words were to save her very life. 

"You see, that's just it. I shouldn't have to tell you, Charlie." She placed her hands on my chest but didn't push me away. Instead, she brought them to my cheeks and cupped my face. "If I hadn't drunk your Scotch and written you that letter, would we even be standing right here, right now, having this very conversation?"

I wanted more than anything to lean into her, press my lips against hers, and never let her go. But a kiss no matter how searing would not answer the one question that hung heavily between us. _What if that never happened?_ With a sigh, I took hold of her wrists. My heart shattered into a thousand tiny little pieces as I pulled her hands from me and took a few steps back. I lowered my gaze to the floor and shook my head.

"I...I don't know, Rey."

She sniffed, and when she spoke again, she had tears in her voice. "And that's why I need to leave. Goodbye, Charlie."

And a little piece of me died right then and there. Rey sidestepped me once more, and this time I didn't stop her. I heard the door open and close with a gentle click. The air in the room suddenly engulfed me with darkness and a eerily icy-cold, which brought my down to my knees. What the fuck had I just done?


	17. Chapter 17

REY JOHNSON

The dress hung before me like a bomb ready to explode. My mind ticked like a stopwatch. It was only a matter of time before the tickling stopped and something tremendous happened. I could have the night of my life with the man of my dreams, or the night could end on a sour note and I would go on to die an old cat lady. My stomach clenched, and I felt thankful I hadn't eaten anything. It would have surely ended up on the floor in front of me.

I nibbled on my bottom lip and stood naked in front of the red stain dress. I wanted to reach out and touch it, but feeling it made it real, and I wasn't sure that I was ready for that. At least not yet...

"Rey, are you back here?" Kira, my sister, called.

I breathed a sigh of relief. She was here. I had called her earlier, frantic, about tonight. I needed someone to prep me for this event, and who better than my stylist sister? She stepped into my white-walled bedroom, which was decorated with a few pictures of legal libraries and knickknack items I'd collected over the years.

"I'm back here," I called. "Warning...I'm naked."

I heard Kira chuckle. "Won't be the first time seeing you in the buff, sis." She crossed the threshold of my bedroom and lifted a brow. "Wow, sis, you look like total shit."

I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff. "Well, thank you so much. That's why you were---so I won't look like total shit." I rolled my eyes and motioned over to the dress. "Here's what you're working with. So, what can you do?"

Kira smiled, turned toward the dress, and gasped. "Holy fuck nuggets, is that Gucci?" 

She approached it and lifted her hand to the fabric but didn't touch it. She let her hand hover over the material, and her breath shuddered. 

"What is wrong with you?" I asked, amused. I turned toward my bed and sat down on my dark-blue comforter. I pulled up the side and wrapped it around my body. "It's just a stupid dress."

"No," she whispered. "Don't listen to her. She didn't mean it, baby. You're so beautiful."

I shook my head and gave my sister a moment of lovemaking with the dress. "When you're done having your orgasmic material moment, sis, I need you to do my hair, makeup, and get me in this dress."

"Shoes?" was all Kira said.

"What?"

"Shoes. There have to be shoes to go with this magnificent dress. Where are they, pronto?!"

I snickered to myself and laid my fingers over my lips for a moment. "I'd show you, but I'm afraid you'll try to kiss and then lick them."

She glared over her shoulder at me and then rolled her eyes as she went back over to the dress. "Don't worry, baby. Auntie Kira loves you."

"You're so strange," I told her. Honestly, I'd needed this distraction. My stomach no longer felt nauseated, although thinking of the ball set the rumblings on overdrive. "Kira, I'm scared."

This got her attention. She turned around and made her way over to my bed. "Of which part? Wearing the dress in front of all the people you don't know, or wearing the dress Charlie sent you in front of all the people you don't know?"

I sighed and looked at my hands. I fidgeted with my fingers and picked at my nail. "I'm scared of him and how I feel about him."

She slapped at my hands and tsked at me to not pick my fingers. "Go in with your head held high and own that fucking place. They don't own you. Hell, they don't even know you. So just go in there and own it, Rey. Hold on to Charlie's arms if you need to, but be your own woman. You've got this, little sister. Now, if you're good to get ready, I'll doll you up and cry while I put this beauty on your ungrateful body."

"Seriously, you're so weird." I pulled my sister into a hug. "And thank you," I whispered. "You always know just what to say."

She hugged me back. "You're welcome. Trust me, you'll know what to do when the time comes." She pulled back and cupped my face. "If that means confessing your love for Charlie Barber, then do it. If it means giving him up and walking away---she lowered her hands to her lap---"I'll be there with Ben & Jerry's ice-cream for our evening consumption."

I nodded and felt dampness jet down my cheek. I quickly swiped it away. "Thank you again."

"No problem. Now, right, let's get you dressed and ready for the ball!"

~*****~

"Turn. Slowly," Kira told me. "Now let me see you in full action."

I felt like a princess. My hair was pulled into an upsweep, with a few tendrils around my face, the dress fit me perfectly, and the shoes---the shoes would make me change my stance on fashion. These shoes were quite amazing. I felt like Julia Roberts in _Pretty Woman._ Well, except for the gazillion dollar necklace. Thank God, he hadn't sent that or else we would be having a serious, _serious_ conversation over the phone the second I opened it and told him what a damned idiot he really was. 

Kira opened her purse and pulled out a string of pearls. I gasped when I saw them.

"Hey, those were our grandmother's!"

"Yes," she said. "And tonight, they're yours. Now turn around so I can put them on you."

She lifted the necklace over my head, and the chilled pearls lay against my chest. The hung just below my neckline, and in the center was a round platinum band with a row of diamonds. I reached up and touched it with my fingertips. I could remember our grandmother wearing this on special occasions. The scent of her perfume invaded my mind, and it was as if she were still here with me. 

"I have some diamonds earrings," I announced in the silence. "You think they'll be okay?"

"Are they studs?" I nodded at her. "Then yes, they'll be perfect." 

I went to my bathroom and opened my wooden jewelry box. It was something my father had given me when I was a child. I'd had it for as long as I can remember and still used it to this day. 

I loved it in a sentimental way. I found my diamonds and pulled them out. When I looked up to the mirror, I paused and simply stared at myself. My makeup was perfectly airbrushed, the shadows were on point, and my lipstick was the color of my dress. My eyes watered at the image in the mirror. This wasn't me, was it? Maybe I was _Julia Roberts_ going to the royal ball after all. 

"Are you okay?" I heard Kira ask.

"Yes, I'm okay. I hadn't seen myself yet." I let go of a long breath and then slid my earrings into place. I turned to face my waiting sister and held my arms out. "Well? How do I look?"

She smiled. "Absolute perfection."

My doorbell rang, and my stomach fluttered, knotted and I felt sick all at once. "What do I do?" I whispered.

She smiled and, with a wink, said, "You go out there and out that ass, sister. You show him who's really in charge here and make the night yours."

She left my bedroom and headed to what I assumed was my front door. I grabbed the small black pearl clutch I'd picked up in a boutique store the other day and slipped my lipstick, license, and keys inside. With a deep breath, I walked out of my bedroom and head down the short distance to my living room and entrance. When I stepped into the room, Charlie and Kira both looked at me. He stood in a sharp, black tuxedo, with a bowtie that matched the color of my dress. His hair was styled perfectly. Even his shoes were perfect. 

I paused, hesitating to move forward until Kira smiled. She winked at me, and I felt a smile slowly creep across my lips as I stepped into the living room.

Charlie took a step toward me, and his eyes--his beautiful caramel-brown eyes---were wide with wonder. He looked at me with adoration, longing and, if I wasn't mistaken, love. It made my heart skip a beat and my feet wanted to run towards him. But I didn't. I stood my ground, mainly because I was afraid that I'd trip.

My legs were weak, whereas a moment ago I was just fine. This man...this incredible, beautiful man I was so in love with him, and there was no going back. 

"Rey," he whispered. "You are absolutely stunning."

He reached out his hand, and I rested mine in his. He then brought it up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

I smiled. "Thank you, Charlie." I felt a rush up my neck and cheeks. "You look quite handsome yourself."

"Shall we?" he asked.

I nodded. "We shall." 

Everything from his office, my pushing him away, and Nicole walking in on us...it all disappeared. I wanted to hold on to tonight as my dream, but I knew soon reality would hit. We would enter the gala, and the façade would fade away. He would mingle with his lawyer friends, and I would find those I knew. 

Then there was Nicole. She would be there. What would I do when she approached me? A woman who walked with confidence would not need to size up her competition, but that wasn't Nicole.

She was a predator readying herself to pounce on her pray, and tonight, that would be me. What would Charlie do in this situation? Would he take my side and tell Nicole to fuck off? Would he stay with his friends and watch the whole event unfold before his very eyes? My heart knew he would do the former, but my mind screamed the latter. He tucked my hand under his arm and turned to my sister.

"I'll have her home later tonight."

She snorted and motioned toward the door. "Don't even bother telling me that. I have my own place. This is hers. As long as she survives the night, get her home on your own time."

"Kira," I groaned. 

She giggled and opened the door. "Have fun, you two!" She walked out and left the door open in her wake.

I looked up at Charlie. "Well, are you ready?"

"I would rather stay here and admire you in this dress. Then devour you out of it afterwards."

As amazing as that sounded right now---and believe me, it did---we needed to make an appearance. I also needed time to talk to him about me...about us. "Maybe after the party."

He lifted his brows. "Well, let's go, then."

Moments later, we were driving down the boulevard toward 620 Loft & Garden in Manhattan. This was one of the most beautiful places in the city, and I'd never been inside. The car ride was quiet except for soft music that played through the cab. The driver's partition window was rolled up for privacy. I glanced over at Charlie and found him fiddling with his fingers in his lap. Was he nervous? Anxious? My heart hurt from the experience at his home when Nicole had walked in.

I'd felt completely exposed. Was that his fault? No, not necessarily, but I wasn't ready for anyone to know we were an item, assuming we were even that. But my heart also ached for him in a way that I had never felt. I wanted him in my life.

It was so much more than just about sex. It was love. I knew it, and I would wager he knew it deep down, too. I reached for his hand and slipped mine into it. His palm was clammy, definitely nervous. He looked over at me, and I smiled, hoping that it would give him a sense of calm.

"Are you all right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." He sighed. "No, actually, I'm not. I lied. I'm sorry. I'm not all right. My head hurts, and I just want to turn this car around and head back to your place and never come back out again."

I smiled again at his words. I wanted to tell him how I really felt. To yell to the skies that I loved Charlie Barber and would give anything to be with him. I wanted to tell him everything and show him exactly how I felt about him in my bed.

"Charlie," I started but was cut off by his driver. 

"We'll be there in five minutes, sir. Do you wish to be dropped off at the front or near the back?"

Charlie looked over at me and raised his brows. "What would you prefer?"

"The front. I honestly don't care."

"The front," he repeated to the driver. 

"Very well," he said, and silence once again enveloped us. 

Charlie cleared up his throat and looked at me again. "So, you were saying?"

I sighed and pulled my hand from his. "We're almost there. Another time, maybe."

"No, go ahead. What were you going to say?" He took my hand back into his and placed his other hand on top, covering mine completely. 

They were warm, and I briefly recalled how they felt on my body. I shivered. I opened my mouth to tell him everything, but we came to a complete stop. Flashes erupted through the window, and the door to our car was opened. Cameras were shoved inside, and flash after flash went off. A hand was extended for me, and I looked at Charlie. He simply smiled.

"Go on. We'll talk later. I promise." he said. 

I nodded, and with a sigh of defeat, I held one hand in front of my face to block the bright lights of the cameras and accepted the extended hand with my other. I stood from the car, and warm air surrounded my body. Exhaust, too much perfume, and cigarette smoke filled the air. I coughed and held onto the hand that helped me out. It was his driver, Wedge. 

"Don't let me fall, Wedge," I told him.

He smiled and patted my hand, gently. "Never."

"I'll take her from here," Charlie spoke and took my hand from his.

I looked at him and felt ease settle over me. Soon we would be inside and out of the flashes, yells and polluted air. 

"Why are all the paparazzi here?" I asked.

"This is one of the biggest events of the year in our area. Law firms aren't the only ones who support this cause. There are some wealthy investors, professional athletes, and celebrities' as well."

I nodded as we walked up the steps toward the gala. I wasn't sure what to expect, and even with the animosity behind us, for the most part, Charlie was my home base tonight. And if I needed a quick out, I had my sister or Uber. Let the festivities begin. 


	18. Chapter 18

CHARLIE BARBER

If someone had told me a month ago that my date for tonight's event would be Rey Johnson, I would have called them a liar. But here we were. I looked at her and smiled as she took in our environment. She was absolutely stunning. Exquisite. I wanted to take her away from here and do naughty things with her. All in due time--assuming, of course, our fighting spell was behind us. We walked into the ball. A large glass of sculpture of a mermaid sat atop a mound of rocks, and the water that was her backdrop was formed of iced. It was striking. 

Some of the wealthiest people from New York and the surrounding areas were here tonight. Money was thrown around in ways that was almost sickening to any outside individual. So many had so little, while we were going to eat off five-thousand-dollars per-plate settings.

I wasn't sure I'd actually cared about that small detail before tonight. That was also, of course, before Rey had come into my life. How I hadn't really seen Rey before she wrote her note would always be beyond me. I really should thank her again tonight for getting drunk and letting her feelings for me flow like a river on that piece of paper. 

I smirked to myself as we walked father into the gala. From tuxedos to expensive ball-gowns, no one had spared any pennies.

I wondered, since we were putting on a charity event, if the dress attired should really have been T-shirt and jeans rather than million-dollar outfits. Seemed to be a complete oxymoron. 

"What's on your mind right now?" Rey asked me.

I gave a slight shrug. "I guess I'm actually wondering why we're really even here tonight."

She raised her brows. "Meaning?"

A waiter approached with a silver tray and eight flutes of champagne. I took two and handed one to Rey. I wanted tonight to be perfect---meaningful and more importantly, I didn't want their to be any more lies or secrets between me and Rey. Honesty was key into winning her over. So, I decided I would go with that.

"Meaning all of this," I said and held my goblet up to clink hers. I took a sip before continuing. "All of this money spent preparing and putting on this charity ball, where said charity would see none of it."

She nodded in understanding. "So you're saying invest all of this money that funded this ball into the charity itself?"

"Yep, exactly."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." She took another sip and winked at me.

I chuckled and pulled her just slightly closer. "Does this mean that you forgive me?"

A slight blush colored her neck and touched her cheeks. She grinned a coy smile and lowered her gaze to the floor. "Maybe," she whispered. "We'll see where we are after tonight, okay?"

She looked up and had a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, and I knew groveling---as well as her naked body---would be in my foreseeable future. And I couldn't get wait to get started.

"Sounds perfect," I told her. Movement across the room caught my attention, and when I looked up, it was the mayor of New York. "Give me a minute, would you? I'm being summoned. Are you okay to mingle alone?"

She nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment and looked to her left and then her right. She squared up her shoulder and gave a curt nod. "I'll be fine."

"That's my girl," I whispered and feathered a kiss on her cheek, just next to her ear.

"Mr. Barber," she said and held on to my arm. "If we're to be associates at work, it wouldn't be wise to kiss me so openly in public like this."

I grinned, and while I was still next to her ear, I cupped my mouth around it and whispered, "If I wanted to be open with you in front of everyone, my lips would already be on your body and not your cheek."

I could feel Rey shiver at my words as my breath fanned across her ear. I leaned back and raised my brow. I met her gaze, and her face flushed with a new level of arousal. I hoped the growing erection in my pants would not give me away when I left her side, but a good adjustment wouldn't warrant any second glances.

"You drive me fucking crazy, woman," I told her with a wink.

She giggled and took a sip of her champagne. "I do what I can, Mr. Barber."

I grinned and kissed the top her hand and then let her go as I made my way toward the mayor. The man was tall, clean-shaven, and had a head full of silver hair. His tuxedo was topped off with a red bowtie. He smiled and held out his right hand.

I took it with a firm shake. "Mayor Kenobi." I said.

"Mr. Barber, it's been a while. Are you ready to switch sides yet and fight for the justice of our victims?"

I chuckled and let his hand go. "No, sir. I'll continue to fight for the true victims."

The district attorney approached with a smirk. He was tall and slender in build, which only drew more attention to his long, polka-dotted tie. He was quite the character and enjoyed telling the occasional joke. He'd told me once that enemies could be brought together hen a chuckle could be shared.

"Charlie," he started as he held out his hand.

I took it. "Anakin." After we shook, the DA shoved his hand into his pants pockets. "Are you looking to switch sides? The election isn't up yet, and I have no plans on leaving my spot any time soon."

I laughed and shook my head. "No, you're good. No worries there. How's your wife, Padme?"

"She's fine. Thanks for asking."

"Well, if it isn't a few of my favorite men!"

I heard the shrill of a familiar voice and gritted my teeth. The three of us turned to find Nicole headed in our direction. A part of me was relieved she hadn't targeted Rey, but the other part was now on guard for whatever poison she planned to released into the wild tonight.

"Nicole," the mayor said and pulled her in for a hug. "It's been a while since I've heard your name. How're things going?"

"Good, Mayor Kenobi."

"Please, just Obi-Wan," he said.

She nodded and turned to Anakin. She pulled him un for a hug and kissed his cheek, leaving a red splotch. He met my gaze, and I smiled and held my champagne glass up for a cheer. I didn't plan to tell him there was a lipstick kiss-shaped stain on the side of his cheek. I'd be more than happy to let his wife find it for him. 

"And that leaves me with Charlie," she said with a rude tone. She placed her hands on her hips and lifted a brow. "Are you still fucking your intern?"

"Excuse me?" I asked and bit back the rage that threatened to explode clean out of me.

"That is a very large accusation there, Nicole," the mayor said in a lowered tone. "And I would kindly suggest to you that this isn't the time nor the setting for such language like that."

"Oh, no problem, sir," Nicole started, "but the woman who has been interning for him was found riding him pretty hard. I mean, if she wants to fuck her way up tp the top, who the hell am I to stop her?"

"I'm sorry, but did I just hear you right?" said a voice from behind me.

My heart skipped a beat when I turned to find Rey on a quick approach. "Oh, shit," I whispered.

Nicole crossed her arms over her chest and held her chin high. "Yes, you did. I never had to sleep my way to the top, but you do you, honey." 

I sighed and closed my eyes. _How the fuck can this be happening right now?_ I ran my hand through my styled hair and looked over at the mayor. "I'm so sorry, sir. Please excuse us. We'll be going now."

"No, Charlie, you don't need to leave," the mayor said. He turned to Nicole. "You, Nicole, can see yourself out. We don't need someone like you polluting our environment with your hatred."

She held up her hands up in lock surrender. "I was only saying, Mayor, that if you want people like Rey Johnson representing victims and criminals while fucking them at the same time, who the hell am I to stop you?"

Rey just shook her head. I couldn't even imagine the rage she felt at this moment. 

"You're fucking unbelievable, you know that?" Rey told her. "You walked in on an innocent situation and twisted it around for your own personal amusement. How is it possible that you've ever won a case?" That caught me by immediate surprise. Even the mayor and DA chuckled. Rey did a double-take at the DA and pointed to his cheek. "You might want to get that off before you go home tonight There's a bit of skank on your cheek."

Nicole huffed, her face growing redder the longer she stood with us. "Well, everyone here knows that Charlie Barber sleeps with anything with a fucking hole."

"I slept with you." I whispered.

"Me too, though it was a long time ago, before I was married," the DA announced.

We all looked over the mayor, and he held up his hands. "Hell no. I wouldn't even touch that."

I stepped in front of my lady and shook my head. "Don't even think about it. You had a lot of nerve showing up completely announced at my home, and now you're accusing Rey of sleeping with her boss? You do realize that's slander, right?"

She huffed once more and opened her mouth to say something, when Rey tugged at my arm. I stepped to the side as she stepped around me. She was now the predator, and Nicole was her prey. Even the mayor and the DA took a step back in her presence. 

"Right," Rey started. "And you're now jealous he didn't want to sleep with you once he realized you were simply after his money. He even walked in on you with his best friend, Poe." She shook her head and clucked her tongue. "But hey, that's none of my business." 

Rey then took a sip of her champagne. Nicole's mouth hung open in shocked horror. No one had ever talked to her this way, as far as I knew. Her hands fisted down by her sides. 

I slid my arm around Rey's waist. "Well, if there's nothing else here," I offered and tugged Rey into my side. "I do believe that you were told to believe." 

Like Rey, I took a sip of my champagne. Nicole looked to the mayor and then to the DA. Neither man would meet her eyes. She growled, turned around with a scream, and stalked out of our range. The DA reached up with a napkin and began to wipe at his cheek. He shook his head with a chuckle. 

"I have never witnessed anything quite like that before. Don't let her get away," he said and motioned to Rey.

I smiled. "I don't plan on it. By the way, she just passed the bar."

"Congratulations," the DA told her. "If you ever want to come play for the other team, my door will always be open for you."

"Thank you, sir. That's quite generous of you." He shook her hand and made his exit.

"Well, I guess that was our entertainment for the evening," the mayor said. He shook my hand once more and then offered his hand over to Rey. She took it and smiled. "I'm so sorry about all that, and congratulations."

She waved it off. "Don't worry about it, and thank you again."

Rey sipped her champagne and then set the empty glass on a silver tray as a waiter walked by. Someone tapped the microphone in the room, and our attention turned to the stage. The master of ceremonies was about to give a speech. 

I looked over at Rey and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Are you all right?"

She nodded with a smile. "I'm perfect. I guess I just need to get used to dealing with people like Nicole."

I smiled and ran a gentle finger over her cheek. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Because if you're going to continue to work for me, we need to lay out some ground rules."

Something naughty glinted in her eyes as she spoke. "I want my corner office to have an amazing view of the city."

I raised my brows. "Woman, you must first pay your dues to get a view like that."

She shrugged. "Then I'll just have to move into your office, and you can figure out where we go from there."

I laughed and shook my head. "I need to go and make my speech here shortly. Try not to do anything reckless while I'm gone, will you?" I tilted her head up slightly and smiled.

"If you kiss me in front of everyone, it'll be a scandal," she teased.

"I don't care who knows, or sees me kissing you in public, in fact, I want them to see it," I said and slanted my lips over hers. “I want the whole world to know that you are mine.” 

My chest ached from the beating of my own heart. My blood rushed through my body and heated me in places that should be reserved for later. I held her in my arms for a long moment, and she whimpered against my mouth. When I released her from the kiss, I pressed my forehead to hers in an affectionate manner. She needed to know. She had to know how I felt about her and what better time than the present, right?

"I'm falling madly in love with you, Rey Johnson." 

"Will Charlie Barber please come join me on stage?" the emcee announced.

I feathered a soft kiss to her forehead. "Hold on to that thought, whatever it was that you were thinking or going to say. I'll be right back." 

I met her gaze. Her eyes were damp with tears, but her smile could have warmed my heart for the rest of my days. 


	19. Chapter 19

REY JOHNSON

I'd never believed a woman could be swept clean off her feet, but Charlie just managed to do it to me. My knees felt weak when he told me that he was madly falling in love with me. Hell, I'd already fallen madly in love with him. He took the steps toward the stage, shook the emcee's hand, and then turned to the microphone. Charlie Barber was meant for this. He came alive up on the stage. His eyes lit up, and he smiled as he talked.

He explained why we were here today and talked about the charity. His words came as naturally to him as his breaths did. I couldn't help but smile at the man on stage. _My man._ My Charlie. 

"Not many of you know this about me, but when I was younger, I went out on a date with a girl I knew in high-school," he spoke into the microphone. "I think I was seventeen at the time. I already knew that I wanted to be a lawyer, but I wasn't quite sure what part of the law I wanted to study. When I went on the date with this girl, she was a year younger than me. She wasn't sure what she wanted to be, which was probably ninety-nine percent of my graduating class."

The audience chuckled in appreciation and understanding. I thought back to my own high-school days. I always knew I wanted to be an attorney. 

"After our date, I took her home and wished her good night. The very next day, while I was in class, the police came in and escorted me out. My mind raced with the worst-case scenarios." Charlie began to count on his fingers. "My father died. My mother was in the hospital. Something had happened to my brother. But no. It wasn't anything like that."

He paused for a moment and met my gaze. I smiled, and he held his gaze for just a moment, and then he winked at me.

"They were there for me."

There was a subtle gasp across the audience. Charlie kept his private life private. So why share any of it now? 

"I had been accused of raping the girl that I went out on that date with."

More sudden gasps. I took another glass of champagne from a waiter who was passing by and sipped it. There was murmuring through the audience, and a few looked my way. I smiled and motioned for their attention to be on Charlie. I knew the truth and wholeheartedly believed him.

"I was arrested and brought to a juvenile attention center. My mom hired an attorney to fight for me, but it wasn't until later that the DA learned that the girl had made up her story."

I glanced over the district attorney of New York and found him smiling up at Charlie. I returned my attention to the beautiful man on stage as he continued on with his speech.

"Like my last case with Armitage Hux. One simple rumor can ruin a person's entire future. And this was why I decided to become a defense attorney. To help those who need help. I'll do that now by donating all fees received from the Hux case to tonight's fundraiser." 

The audience clapped again, followed by a few hoots and hollers. My eyes filled with tears, and my heart swelled with more love than I thought possible. He wanted to do so much for so many others, and they would never know who it came from. Charlie Barber was so much more of a man than anyone else I had ever met. And I loved him. I smiled at the affirmation, and a part of me wanted to jump up and down and scream it to the skies that I loved Charlie Barber. 

Although, if I did, I would look like an absolute lunatic, so said screaming would have to wait for tonight. After the applause died down, Charlie continued his speech.

"I'll have everyone here know that I won the Hux case because of the hard work of a very special woman. Miss Rey Johnson joined my team just after she took her bar exam. And I'll have you know she passed with flying colors!"

My applause sounded, and my cheeks got so hot, I thought I would combust into flames. The few who were standing by us when he kissed me turned in my direction. There was a good chance they'd also heard the conversation with Nicole, but I honestly didn't care about any of that. Let them think what they wanted. What I'd said was completely, a hundred perfect true.

I loved Charlie Barber, and if I wasn't mistaken, he essentially confessed his love for me tonight as well. And I was totally okay with that.

"You know, she was so pissed off at me during the trial, she got into my best Scotch and drank the entire contents."

"Oh, bloody hell," I whispered and held my hands over my eyes. "Please, no, Charlie. Just no."

"She even wrote me the ugliest note, telling me to basically go and eff....erm, to go and screw my myself."

The audience members chuckled, and I peeked at him through my fingers. _Oh God, I can't....Charlie, please, don't say anything else, please, please, please, please!_

"She also said a few choice things of a different nature that I'll leave to you creative imaginations."

A few whistles and catcalls sounded, and I had never wanted a room to open up and swallow me whole more desperately than right now.

"Get'er," someone called out from my immediately left.

Charlie held his hand up and shook a single finger. "It's not like that, but I have to say, the woman opened my eyes that day. It was then that working with Rey became a game-changer. She helped me win that case. And throughout our time together, I somehow managed to fall madly in love with her--the one woman who was able to melt my icy-cold heart. The world had better get ready for Rey Johnson. She's going to be one hell of an attorney." He pointed to the DA with a grin. "You'd better be ready for the right of your life!"

"Bring it!" the DA yelled with a smile.

Charlie brought the mic up once more. Lord, was he going to wrap it up soon? Hell, no more secrets or information about me, please. 

"And even though I'm not involved with cases of battered women and children, that would never stop me and my firm from donating to this amazing foundation. Thank you for being here tonight, enjoy yourselves, and let your wallets flow freely!"

The audience clapped for Charlie as he exited the stage, and a few hands reached out to shake his. I stood off to the side and allowed him to have his moment of glory. He deserved it. He was such a brilliant man, but maybe someone should write his speeches for him in the future. He pushed through the crowd and came back to my side with a larger-than-life smile on his lips. I could have melted into him, right there, with the way he looked at me. He was everything, and right now I was his entire world.

"Now everyone in this room knows that I belong to you, baby," he said just to me.

"You had nothing to prove up there, you know," I told him and slipped my arms around his neck.

"I know that, but I wanted the world to know my heart belonged to you and you alone."

His words melted me even more. "The world, huh?"

He nodded and rested his forehead against mine. "I really want to take you home and make love to your sweet body and do things to you that I've been dying to try."

"Oh, I'm curious now. What do you have in mind?"

He grinned down at me. "Such a curious kitten, my speech is over and my check has been delivered. We can go whenever you like, baby."

My pussy clenched with need, and I wanted more than anything to feel Charlie between my legs, pushing himself deep inside, claiming me as his. 

"Oh, I don't know, Charlie. I'm kind of hungry after that speech. Not to mention, I wanted to meet a few more of the city officials, you know, really get my name out there as this kick-ass attorney you kept mentioning me as."

He grinned, and it was so beautiful. I wanted to frame this moment in my memory forever. "I really should begin introducing you as Criminal Attorney Miss Rey Johnson."

I loved the sound of that. I smiled so hard, it hurt my cheeks. "Whoever said I wanted to be a criminal attorney?"

His brows rose. "Um you did?"

The look of questionable integrity caused me to laugh. He looked scared and also confused at the same time. "Oh, stop. I'd love for you to introduce me that way."

He grinned and then waggled his brows. "So, shall we leave, then?"

I nodded. "Yes, let's get out of here." 

~*****~

In the darkness of the limo, Charlie managed to get me onto his lap. I straddled his hips and cupped his face, our lips fighting for dominance as our tongues wrestled in a rhythmic dance of seduction. The partition window was up, separating us from Wedge. 

"I need to be inside you, woman," he whispered.

"Then move my panties and touch me," I told him in a sure and firm voice. 

Charlie didn't hesitate. He moved his hand down between us, and I lifted just enough to give him access to my delicates that separated me from his body...well, his pants. He was still dressed. So only one of us would be having fun at the moment. With a wicked grin, Charlie maneuvered his fingers past my panties and slid his digits over my wet pussy. He slid in two fingers and pumped them, filling me with only a tease of what would come later.

"I want to taste you on my tongue," he teased.

"Just get me naked before we ruin this dress. My sister wants to marry it." 

He stopped what he was doing and laughed a hard chuckle. "Well, that was ransom, but okay. We'll save the dress for her special occasion."

I tilted his head up and slanted my mouth across his. He pumped his fingers faster and rubbed the sensitive spot inside me. The friction drove me crazy, and a subtle hint of an orgasm teased. Hell, I needed him so much more than what his fingers could do for me. 

I moved my hips in rhythm with his hand. My breaths came heavier and with a frantic need. I reached for his pants buckle. 

"Wait, my love. Wait until we get back to your place," he begged. "Not here. You're worth so much more to me than a car fuck."

"Right. I'm a great car fuck as well as a bed fuck, wall, or anywhere else you decide to take me."

He chuckled. "You're so bad, woman."

"And you fucking love it," I whispered and nibbled on his ear. 

"That I do," he said and pressed his thumb to my clit. He moved it with aggression that met the rhythm of his fingers. 

I gasped and sat back on his lap, giving him fuller access to my body. "Yes," I moaned and reached for the handle above the door of the car. 

I held on and moved my body with desperation against his hand. He moved his thumb even faster, pushed his fingers harder, and my body would soon shatter. 

"Charlie," I said in a higher pitch. "Charlie, oh, God!"

"Hold on for me, baby. Hold on. We're almost there."

"Unless you stop, I won't be able to hold on much longer. I'm going to cum. Please, I need to! I've needed you, needed this!" Then, without warning, he stopped completely. He pulled his hand free from me. I looked at him, confused, and, quite honestly, pissed off. "What the fucking hell, Charlie?"

"I need you to wait, please. Don't let yourself go here in this car. You deserve to be cherished, not fucked."

I smiled and leaned into him. "But you're not fucking me. Your fingers were, and they were doing such a damn good job."

He chuckled. "Please, just give me this, baby."

I sighed and collapsed against his chest, into his arms. "Fine," I groaned. "But just as soon as we're in back inside of my---"

"You're all mine, baby."

I grinned and buried my face into his neck, kissing his skin under his ear. "Thank you, Charlie."

"For what?" he asked.

"For this amazing night. For everything. For just being you. For standing up for me and being the man I've always known you to be." 

"If I recall, you stood up for yourself just fine, even without my help." 

I nodded and then looked at him. "Yes, but you were there and you supported me rather than to just let that crazy bitch walk all over me." 

He brushed strands of loose hair back from my face. "I would never ever feed you to the wolves, baby. I'd never forgive myself if I did" 

I leaned into him once more and relished the feel of his arms around my body. He was my safety net, my man, my person. I had fallen in love with Charlie Barber, the unclaimable man, the one who swore to have an ice heart....and he was mine. 


	20. Chapter 20

REY JOHNSON

If you had asked me a month or so ago if Charlie Barber was "the one," I would have laughed in your face and told you to fuck off. The man was a sex god, and his personality and attitude personified that fact. However, since I've come to know the man, after having shared intimate relations with him and handing my heart over to him completely on a silver platters, the answer would be a resounding _yes_. He _was_ the one. He'd _always_ been the one. 

We left his car quickly, not wanting to break our momentum toward a much-needed, hard-as-you-can-fuck-me, just-hot-over-the-biggest-fight-ever, you-belong-to-me-now fuck session. When we stood before the door of my building, Charlie placed his hands over my breasts, pulling my back against his chest.

He feathered his lips across my exposed neckline, and shivers ran up and down my spine. 

"Open the fucking door already." he growled next to my ear. 

My blood quaked with need as his tongue slid along my earlobe. My God, this man was going to be the death of me, I swear. No one could match his touch---no one. 

"I'm trying," I said with an exasperated sigh. "You're not making it easy on me." 

He chuckled this dark, throaty sound that brought a grin to my lips. "Do you have any idea what you to do to me, Rey?" Charlie pressed his erection into the crease of my ass, and if his hardness as any indication, I knew exactly how I made him feel. My key finally turned in the deadbolt, and the door shot open. We stumbled inside, and I managed to close the door behind me closed before Charlie pressed my back to it. His hands were on my breasts again, and his lips--his gorgeous, luscious mouth--claimed my own in a show of dominance.

He pressed his knee between my thighs, and i moved my left leg around his thigh. He moved his hands from my chest long enough to gather the skirts of my dress and pull them up around my waist.

"I need these clothes off your delicious body," he groaned against my lips.

"I can't get out of said clothes unless you get me go."

He grinned, and a soft laugh escaped from him. "Not a fucking chance."

"Then I guess you'll have to make do with my clothes on," I teased.

It took more willpower than I was willing to admit to keep myself from shoving his jacket off and ripping his shirt---and his pants--at the buttons. He thrust his erection against my pussy, and the friction sent a jolt of adrenaline through my veins. I groaned in the silence of my home and fisted my hands atop his shoulders.

My arms began to shake, and the one leg I stood on weakened. I wanted to shatter in his arms, give myself to him completely, but was he ready and willing to do the same for me?

The way he was with me at the event tonight, from his demeanor in front of watching eyes to the zero fucks given to those who watched him kiss me, told me everything I needed to know. A boldness I wasn't sure I had erupted from my inner self and took over, like turning on the autopilot of my body. In a rushed frenzy, I grabbed at his jacket and pushed it from his shoulders to his elbows.

"Get naked," I growled and pushed it the rest of the way off his arms. 

I reached for and removed his bowtie and then tore his shirt's material from it's buttons, sending them shattering like glass to the floor. My God, I had no idea I possessed this much strength.

"Oops, I'm sorry," I whispered. "Clearly, I don't know my own strength anymore."

"Fuck the shirt," he growled and pushed my arms above my head. He held my wrists with one hand while the other took hold of my chin. "I'm going to ravish every square inch of your body, Rey. Every single fucking inch. Tell me that you're all mine. Tell me that you belong to me."

He slowly leaned in, and his nose teased mine, followed by his tongue sweeping across my lips. I could feel his breath on my mouth as he spoke yet again.

"Tell me that you love me, Rey."

My breath rushed from my lungs, and my legs gave out from under me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me against his body. _Tell me that you love me. Tell me that you're mine._ His words sang over and over in my head---the words I'd been wanting to hear, longing to hear, needing to hear for so long. 

"I'm yours," I whispered. "Please, Charlie, release me. Get this fucking dress off of me. I need you inside me."

"Tell me, Rey," he growled. "I want to hear you say it."

I closed my eyes, and another shudder rushed out with my breath. My eyes felt damp, and a tear rushed down my cheek. His thumb gently glided over the damp spot as he swiped it away. Then his moth was by my ear once more.

"Rey Johnson, I love you more than life itself." He leaned back and met my gaze. I must have been wearing an expression of shock. He chuckled and then continued. "I had no idea that I needed you in my life until I finally saw you. Like, really saw you. Once you opened my eyes, my heart soon followed afterward. Please, tell me that you love me and your heart is mine for the taking. Please, tell me that you feel the exact same way. I don't think I could take it if you didn't. But, Rey, please, I just need to know."

I stared into his eyes, the wonderment, the longing, the pure lust, and the love he felt for me radiating out of him. He spoke the truth. I could see it in the depths of his eyes. I felt my body shake again for a different reason. More tears slid down my cheeks. I hiccupped and swiped at the wetness on my face.

"As long as I've known you, Charlie, I've wanted you in my life. I dreamed of being by your side, being your woman--hell, even being your wife---for so long, and the first time you really saw me, because of that note, was the first day of my new life. There was no going back for me, not after that. I love you, Charlie Barber, heart and soul. I love you so much."

In a flash. Charlie released my hands and had his arms around my body. He lifted me into the air and held me close to him. I hugged my arms around his neck and brought my lips to his.

Our tongues danced in a rhythm that met a perfect harmony. We were meant to be. I felt it. He felt it. Charlie bridal carried me in the direction of my bedroom. Of course, we didn't even make it that far.

"Ouch!" I yelled out when we bumped into my wall. I couldn't help laughing.

"Sorry about that," he said through his own laugh.

Once we made it to my bedroom, he set me on my feet and then took my hands once more and held them above my head. "Don't move," he ordered.

I nodded. He slid his hands down my arms and upper body until he reached the zipper of my dress. He pulled it down and helped me step out of it. He laid it across a sitting chair in my room and then returned his attention back to me. I stood in black-lace panties, my stilettos, and my necklace and earrings but nothing else. Charlie took my hands and led me toward the bed, laid me down, and hovered over my body for a moment below slowly retreating. He stood, long and tall, his face filled with an emotion I could only describe as love.

His eyes glistened, and he smiled down at me. It wasn't every day anyone really had the privilege of knowing the real Charlie Barber. He'd let his walls down for me and allowed me entrance to the most insecure parts of himself. 

I held the key to his heart and had no intention of tarnishing that trust. He slipped his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. His chest rose and fell with the breaths that he took.

His black hair was slightly disheveled from all the kissing we'd done against my door. He removed his pants, locked off his shoes, and pulled off his socks. He stood in boxer briefs, and the outline of his erection pressed against the cotton material. 

"Come here," I said and sat on the edge of my bed. 

He stepped forward, and I pulled at the waistline of his boxers, tugging them down his hips. His cock was mouth level with a small pearl of pre-cum. I licked it and met his gaze. Charlie's mouth was slightly open, and he gasped when I licked him again. I wrapped my hand around his shaft and stroked him gently.

"Do you love me, Charlie?" I asked.

I already knew the answer, but I wanted to play some after the very serious moment we'd just had. He nodded and tucked hair that had fallen around my face behind my ear.

"You know I love you."

I smiled and stroked him again. "I love you."

I then took him into my mouth and sucked on him, causing Charlie to gasp once more. I took him father until he touched the back of my throat. He was large and so damn hard,

"I need to be inside you, baby," he groaned. "Let me have you already."

I looked up his ripped stomach and pecs to meet his hooded gaze. I gave his head a slight nibble, and he hissed I licked him as if to soothe the aching burn. "You _are_ inside me."

"And believe me, it feels so fucking amazing, baby," he said and ran a hand under the back of my hairline. I then gasped when he fisted my hair. "But I want to be fucking your pussy right now."

My mouth was agape, and as he pulled my hair, he moved his other hand down between my legs. I separated them for him, and Charlie moved my panties to the side. He pushed two fingers inside my pussy, and his thumb pressed against my clit. He moved his fingers against the sensitive flesh in a circular motion, awakening what could only be described as my inner beast. The more he massaged the area, the more intense the feeling became, and my body thrashed on the bed.

With his thumb teasing my clit, I was merely a ragdoll, and he was my puppet master. He lowered himself to me, and his lips met mine in a force full of longing, need and love. He pushed me to lie down onto he bed, and his hand never wavered from the finger-fucking he was giving to me. 

Charlie let go of my hair and slid his hand down my neck to my breasts. He pinched the nipple on my left breast, and I hissed.

"Damn it, Charlie," I groaned, sensing an orgasm building in the lower part of my abdomen. I knew I would shatter very soon. "You're going to make me fucking cum before we even have sex."

I licked my lips and met his gaze. His eyes were hungry, knowing, and he looked as if he were about to devour me whole. And I was ready for the taking. His free hand gripped the fabric of my barely there panties, and he ripped the material from my body. It was the most erotic thing that anyone had ever done to me. And I only wanted him to be the one to do it.

He pushed my legs father apart and placed his free hand just above the hood that covered my clit. He pulled my lower lips apart, and the cool of the air sent a jolt through my body just as Charlie flicked is tongue against my already-swollen clit. 

"Oh, shit," I gasped as I laid my head back on the bed.

I reached above my head, grabbed the silk comforter, and pulled. I needed to hold on to something or my body may buck from the lashing Charlie was giving my pussy. 

"Oh, harder, please. I'm going to fucking cum! Harder, Charlie! HARDER!"

My clit throbbed, and my breaths became erratic as I panted. Charlie sucked against my clit and nibbled. And that's when I shattered. I screamed his name and my hips came clean off of the bed. I wasn't sure when he stopped sucking and my body came back down to the bed, but my chest rose and fell with the air I attempted to pull into my lungs. It was the most intense orgasm I had experienced in my life. It was like skydiving. It wasn't the sensation of the air hitting your body but the spike of adrenaline and the euphoria your body felt as you were mid-climax.

I met his gaze after a moment, and a laugh pushed through my lips at the smirked that played on his face. 

"You're welcome," he said and swiped his hand down his face.


	21. Chapter 21

CHARLIE BARBER

Rey lay before me, a goddess among women. Her pussy glistened with the aftermath of the orgasm I had just given her. The room had a slight chill, and her nipples had pebbled stiff. I reached forward and pinched one between my fingers. She smirked and lifted herself up to her elbows.

"A part of me wants to tie you up," I said. "and another part of me just wants to make love to you all night."

"It's almost midnight. Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Absolutely."

I pulled her legs apart and yanked her toward me. She squealed, followed by her laughter. "Why not both?" she asked with a wicked gleam in her eyes. 

I smirked and leaned down. I licked and pinched her nipple and then sucked on it for a moment. "Don't tease me. Besides..." I glanced up at her from her breast as I switched to the other. "I didn't bring any rope with me." 

I sucked her other tit until I let it go with a pop. The head of my cock rubbed against her pussy. She was hot, wet, and ready. I moved my hips against her, the friction of my dick rubbing directly over her clit. She gasped and ran her hands up the length of my arms. I continued to do this and relished the wetness her pussy left on my shaft. Leaning down, I slanted my lips across hers. My tongue slid across her mouth, and she opened up for me. 

I slid my tongue alongside hers as I continued rubbing myself against her. I was teasing her---not quite getting her off but more like light masturbation of our bodies. She moved her hips in rhythm with mine, and I fought back the urge to slam myself into her balls deep.

"Fuck me, please," she whispered. "Stop teasing me, Charlie, and fuck me!" 

I grinned and licked her lips. "You want it, baby?"

She nodded, her mouth open as she gasped. "Yes, please."

I pulled back a little more, just enough to where the helmet of my cock pressed against the entrance to her pussy. As soon as I felt myself glide inside, I slammed down hard, pushing my fully length inside her. She arched and yelled out my name, and her nails dug into my shoulder blades. I pulled back and thrust into her, harder than ever before. She completely consumed me, and I was lost to this woman, lost to her body and soul. There was no life without her, and I couldn't remember anything about my life before her. I had simply been breathing, but with Rey, I felt alive.

I pushed into her over and over again, my grunts growing louder with each thrust. She reached over her head and held on to something. The mattress? It didn't matter what she held on to, Rey Johnson was all mine.

"Mine," I groaned with a thrust. "You. Are. All. Mine."

"Yours," she gasped with a whimper. "I'm yours, Charlie, always yours."

I pressed a palm to the bed and wrapped my free arm around her leg. I pushed it to her chest and drove father into her. I needed more. I wanted all of her. Everything.

It was as if I had been starving my entire life until met Rey, my woman, my perfect match, my soulmate. She fulfilled me in every sense of the being. My balls ached, and I knew that my orgasm would happen soon. Too soon. I didn't want this night to end.

"God, I could do this all fucking night long," I growled and pushed into her. "I want you all night, ever night."

She giggled--not quite the response that I was hoping for. I looked into her eyes, and she smiled up at me. "Well, then I hope you bring some electrolytes and some lube with you, because we're definitely going to need it."

I chuckled and leaned down, bringing my lips to her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Charlie."

"Oh, shit," I whispered and I picked up my rhythm. "I'm going to fucking cum, baby. Cum with me. Cum now, Rey. Fuck, yes, cum now!"

With a low, feral growl, I came. I slammed my cock hard into her, and she held on to my arms and yelled out my name. I felt her release as it mixed with my own. Sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down my nose. I swiped it away and brought my forehead down to hers.

"Are you ready for that glass of water?"

She grinned. "There's lube in the nightstand."

I chuckled and rolled off her. With my arm wrapped around her waist, I pressed my lips to her temple. "I love you so much, Rey Johnson. More than words, more than anything else in this world."

She smiled and turned her head to face me. Her makeup had worn under her eyes, and her mascara ran. It only added to her exquisite beauty. "I love you a whole googolplex."

I blinked. "What the hell is a googolplex?"

"It's the largest any number could ever possibly be," she explained. "It's like writing the number with an endless amount of zeros attached to it."

"I had no idea, and now I love you a whole googolplex plus infinity." 

She snorted. "There's no such thing."

"Well." I chuckled. "There is now."

I held Rey in my arms for a few more minutes before I got out of bed and helped her to her feet. We showered, had sex before we left the bathroom, and then had to clean up again. I brought her water as promised, and she was ready on the bed, patiently waiting for me. If I hadn't requested her to work the weekend of her best friend's wedding, she never would have drunk my Scotch and the note would never have been written.

Thank God I made her work that night. Turns out, it was the smartest decision that I'd ever made.


	22. Chapter 22

EPILOGUE

REY JOHNSON

I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. My hair was pulled to the crown of my head in a braid of auburn hair. I had a few curls pulled down to frame my face. In front of my braid sat a tiara that held my veil. My dress was sleeveless, strapless, and fitted to my waist. It flared on long satin and had a train behind it. My makeup was perfect, and I swore to myself that I would not cry. 

"Come here, honey," my mother called. "Let me put some rouge on you."

"Mum, we call it lipstick in the twenty-first century."

She smeared the lipstick on my lips. "Smack your lips and make sure it spreads. I don't care what you bloody kids call it these days. The color is beautiful on you. Take a look, darling."

I turned back to the mirror and smiled. She was right. The color was indeed, perfect. A bouquet of fresh roses, both white and red, were then handed to me. I took them and looked at my sister, Kira. She had tears in her eyes, and she hugged me tight. 

"I'm so proud of you, Rey," she whispered. "I knew he was the one."

I smiled and took a step back. "So, how do I look?"

"Like a total knockout. He may actually break down and cry when he sees you," he said. "In the best possible way, of course."

"Well, baby girl, are you ready?" my dad called. 

Charlie had asked me to marry him on our one-year anniversary. He had moved me in with him, and I finally had met his mother. Some days were better than others when it came her dementia. She was so loving and kind. One day during a moment of clarity, she had told him, "Don't you dare screw this one up, son! I actually like her!"

Coming back to the present, I looked over at my father. "Yes, Daddy, I think I am ready."

The music in the church began to play the wedding songs Charlie and I had picked. My bridesmaid---and future-sister-in-law and new best friend rolled into one---Rose, made her way down the aisle, followed by my maid of honor, my sister. Once they were in place, the wedding march started, and everyone stood. And down at the end of the walk stood my fiancé and very-soon-to-be future husband, Charlie Barber. 

CHARLIE BARBER

My eyes filled with tears, and I smiled so large it almost hurt. My heat beat loud enough I knew that everyone in this place could hear it, even over the organ that played. But I didn't care. I would run into the street and confess my love of this woman, Rey Johnson. 

She made her way down the aisle with her father. Our eyes never wavered from each other. She smiled, and her red lips were beautiful under the light veil.

The night that I asked Rey to marry me, we were walking on the beach in Cozumel. I'd taken her on a vacation with me after another big case had been won. We were hand-in-hand, barefoot in the sand. The sun was setting. It was perfect. I pulled her to a stop and kissed her. Then, I slowly dropped down to one knee, and she gasped and broke out in tears. She leaped into my arms screaming yes before I even had the chance to ask her to marry me.

After we made love that night, I asked her while she lay in my arms. And she said yes. 

"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and told hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do you part?"

Rey simply smiled and said, "I do."

The same questioned was repeated to me. I smiled and squeezed her hands tightly in my own. "You bet I do."

"May I have the rings?" the preacher said.

We handed them over, and one by one, we slipped them onto each other's fingers. He said something else I didn't quite catch because as I stared into Rey's eyes, everything and everyone else had faded away.

"Son?" the preacher interrupted.

"Yes?" I answered.

"I said you may kiss your bride now."

A few in the church chuckled. We both apparently had missed what he'd said. I carefully lifted the veil that covered Rey, and underneath was the most beautiful woman in the whole world, my wife. I took her into my arms, slanted my lips over hers, and kissed her. At that moment, my heart was full, so full it might burst from my chest. But I would have died a happy man.

I pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Mrs. Barber."

She giggled. "I love you, too, Mr. Barber. And I hate to tell you this but there's red lipstick all over your mouth."

I slowly grinned, winked at her, and then kissed her again. Would Rey and I have ended up here today at our wedding? I would surely like to think so. Regardless, we were here now, and that was all I needed in this world of misadventures with Scotch, dirty little secret love notes, and Rey. _My_ Rey. 

_The End_


End file.
